WOODBURY – In a world where each day presents its own set of challenges, many senior citizens are faced with the heartbreaking challenges of affording basic necessities, with food being a part of the concern. But with the help of the NHS culinary arts students, it can bring senior citizens a sense of joy and relief during the holiday season.

“I think this is great,” Ray Connors, a senior citizen of Woodbury said. “It helps us a lot because, financially, a lot of seniors can’t afford things like they used to.”

For the NHS culinary students, participating in community service by preparing meals for senior citizens is not just an act of kindness– it is an invaluable stepping stone to their future goals. As students push themselves into real world culinary experiences, events like these hone their skills, bringing them to life that they learned in class. 

“It gives our students a real world experience,” John Dominello, the culinary teacher at NHS said. “Not only does it teach and prepare our students for the real world, it provides a meal and a feeling of community for our senior citizens.” 

The dedication of NHS culinary students shines brightly in their commitment to making a difference in their community. Well after the bells rings, you would have still found some students devoting extra hours to perfecting their culinary creations. These students’ efforts go beyond just learning how to cook; they are about caring for others and being a part of something bigger than themselves. 

 “We put a lot of work into this and it took months with staying after class that went into it,” Finn Farrelly, a senior in the culinary program at NHS said. “We work a lot with our community, like Rhoden’s farm donated corn, we got apples from march farms, and it was a mix of other level culinary classes to bring this all together.”

The collaboration between the NHS culinary program and local farms like Rhoden’s and March Farms demonstrates the strong bond within the Woodbury community. It’s this local cooperation that enhances the quality of the meals prepared by the students, turning their culinary creations into a delicious feast for the senior citizens.

“I think it is good for the culinary program to do some community outreach,” Farrelly commented.

As cars lined up outside the school, a joyous scene unfolded for the culinary students of Nonnewaug high school. 170 senior citizens were served a fresh, homemade meal and drove away with a smile on their face and one less thing to worry about. 

 “There are so many reasons why this is important,” Dominello added. “We are serving 170 meals to senior citizens.”

As the last of the senior citizens drove off, some saying bye with a wave and some with heartfelt words of thanks, the students of NHS felt a sense of pride. Ending by serving 170 meals to the community’s seniors was way more than just a school event – it was an opportunity to make a real difference. From their hard work in the kitchen, the students not only showed off their skills but also brought a hopeful sense of this generation. This day of service was not just about food, it was about connecting with the community and really seeing and feeling the impact of their efforts.

“This is just such a great thing you guys put on,” Connors said.