Wow, what cooking talent there is in the CBC Pensioners Association in St. John’s. That was evident on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 12th when a seven member team of CBC pensioners cooked a fabulous shepherd’s pie at the Ronald McDonald House as part of the Home for Dinner program. Each pensioner donned an apron and under the watchful eye of leader Anne Budgell the outcome was two large pans of shepherd’s pie along with healthy salads and delicious desserts, enough food to feed an expected 30 residents of the home. These people really appreciate a home cooked meal after returning from the nearby Janeway hospital where they spend a good part of the day with a sick child. This is a wonderful outreach project for our association and those who take part find it to be a most gratifying experience.
I wish to sincerely thank those who gave a helping hand. I know the staff at McDonald House also appreciated the pensioners contribution of food and time. A big thank you goes to Kevin Hanlon for his efforts in organizing the volunteers.
In addition to Anne Budgell the other members of the cooking team were Kevin Hanlon, Bill Maher, Lillian Bartlett, Anne Fagan, Enos Hillier and Jim Woodrow.
Leader Anne was impressed with the smoothness of the operation. “What a team! Whether it was chopping onions and garlic, peeling potatoes, or browning up meat, the crew seamlessly pitched in and all the work got done. When one job was finished they would pick up a cloth to wipe down the work station or load the dishwasher. Lots of jokes and laughs made a very enjoyable couple of hours.”
Hopefully we will undertake this very worthwhile project again next year and even more members of our association will take the opportunity to help families who really cherish community support during such a challenging time.
Regards,
Bill Maher, President