Thanksgiving week is the time for one of our Club’s favorite traditions, one that dates back more than ten years: Serving lunch to clients of The Arc of San Francisco and others.
The day got off to an early start: Past Club President and Past District Governor Eric Schmautz met Jonathan Scopazzi at The Salvation Army’s South of Market commercial kitchen at 4:40 AM. They worked through the morning to roast 200 pounds of pork shoulder, cook 100 pounds of carrots, make a mountain of stuffing, prepare 5 gallons of gravy and decant 8.5 gallons of cranberry sauce.
They provided meals for about 125 residents and clients of The Salvation Army’s Harbor Light detox center before transporting the rest of the food to The Arc of San Francisco, where 50 Rotary volunteers were ready to spring into action. Teams carved steaming trays of roast pork, cut up pre-baked quiches for vegetarians, sliced three dozen pumpkin pies, and organized it all for easy service.
Meanwhile, the first group of more than 100 clients of The Arc gathered at tables in several rooms throughout the facility. Rotary volunteers delivered plates of food to the appreciative crowd. After they finished their meal, The Arc staff cleaned and reset the tables and then welcomed in another group of hungry clients.All in all, we provided a festive luncheon for nearly 500 people – the only holiday celebration meal for many of them.
While enjoying our own repast, we watched this year’s video about the work of The Arc. We left inspired by the great stories featured in the video about Andrew, Lilian, and PJ, who enjoy healthy and satisfying lives thanks to the work of The Arc. See the video here.
After everyone left, Past Club President Tim Hornbecker (and past Executive Director of The Arc of SF) assembled donations for survivors of the Camp Fire, given by Rotarians as well as the staff and clients of The Arc. Tim drove the donated items to The Arc’s facility in Oroville, where they will be available at no charge to those who need them.Rotarians are invited to one more holiday celebration at The Arc: a special Holiday Dinner Club on Monday, December 17, beginning at 5:30, where about 50 Dinner Club regulars will share a memorable evening of Yuletide fun. More information and registration are available here.
Thanks to the San Francisco Rotary Foundation for underwriting the cost of these and other service projects at The Arc of San Francisco.