Marquette Catholic High School

11/30/2008
MQT makes shelter a priority
Reprinted with permission from The News Dispatch

Kathy Ceperich
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Helping the community while nourishing its own spirit is what Marquette Catholic High School's new "Feed the Spirit" program is all about.

At the start of the school year, Marquette High School Principal Jim White was looking for an idea for a community service project students could be involved with all year. It was during a Rotary Club meeting he learned the Interfaith Community Men's Shelter was in desperate need of help, so he decided Marquette would help.

Since the winter shelter opened Oct. 15, students, parents and teachers have volunteered to serve food to the men, then help with the cleanup at least once a week.

Last week, it became a whole school event.

As part of the teachers' team building exercises, the faculty met at the Cracked Egg, a cooking school on U.S. 12, to learn to work together in preparing a four-star feast for the men. While getting to know each other, they learned how to cut up a whole chicken for southern fried chicken with pan gravy, mashed a sweet potato casserole, baked homemade biscuits, even prepared a pineapple and coconut crisp for dessert.

Cracked Egg co-owners Dorothy Sheehan and Helen Welsh handed out recipe cards, then took a backburner to let the Marquette staff team prepare their feast.

"As a team, you can do better than individually," Sheehan said as she coached the frenzied group of 20 staffers from Marquette, who gathered the needed supplies and began the ad hoc catering for an anticipated 24 men at the overnight shelter.

Teachers Carol Bracewell and Martha Zolvinski quickly gathered the sweet potatoes to the sink and started peeling and dicing.

"I love it," Zolvinski said, "It does build good teamwork, but the food then does get to charity."

By day, Amy Crane is the school's theater, music, speech and student publications resource teacher. During the team building, she added baked bean casserole chef to her resume.

"I think this is awesome," Crane said, "A, we get to give back to the community, which at Marquette is No. 1," she said, "and B, we get to know the other teachers and school staff on a personal level."

White was pleased with how the outreach turned out. He helped deliver the hot trays of food to the shelter in the Sacred Heart Church basement where volunteers, including Marquette student Stephanie Long, 17, and her mother, Shirley Long, helped serve.

"I think it was a good experience," the high school senior said. "It makes you realize that an everyday person could be homeless. You can't tell by looking at a person."

She added the experience made her more grateful for what she has and to not take things for granted.

"I think it went great," White said. "We learned more about each other, (practiced) tolerance and we came together for a common cause."