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$5.00
#64

FRIENDSHIP TRAYS

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Article by Ruth Hsieh
Photos by Maria Valdivieso

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Friendship Trays serves good

food to people in need.

This story is by Speak Up vendor Ruth.
Even when she was homeless, shuttling from
place to place, she showed up to volunteer at
Friendship Trays early in the mornings.

The way she saw it, she’d already been given
much—it was only natural to give back.

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Listen how the leaves whistle in the air. See the clouds
flowing around the sky and birds singing in this sunny day.
I can sense a wonderful aroma across the warehouse at 2401
Distribution Street.

Chef Lamont and Bennett are cooking from the Friendship
Trays kitchen. They have been awake since 6 o’clock motivated
to feed the community with their own hands. The chefs are
diligently cooking the delicious food I smell from far. Before
the tray is placed in front of the client, kind volunteers have
washed, cleaned, cut and chopped vegetables into fine pieces.

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Then it is mixed in a big pot on the hot stove by the chefs.
Next, all the helping hands gather to pack the food to be
deliver.

This is just a small glimpse of the process involved before
the nutritious and healthy food is presented to Friendship
Trays clients. Nevertheless, it could not be possible if the
good heart of volunteers from different facilities such as,
Charlotte Mecklenburg School, Novant Health, Bank of
America, Wells Fargo and other variety of places.

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According to the driver Mike Myer, the tasty meals usually
go to Blessed Assurance Adult Day care, Anuvia, Children’s
Daycare and CMS.

The association also has a catering service. The Chef in charge
of the service is Carmen Morales from Peru. She and her staff
prepared the delicious sandwiches and pastries that go to
different facilities including Caldwell Presbyterian Church’s
coffee Shop, Third Place, Julia’s Coffee shop, Charlotte-
Mecklenburg courthouse, Health department architecture
design company and Southend Partnership. The catering

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service Friendship Trays serves hundreds daily.

While volunteering I had the chance to learn about the
history of the place. The organization was established in
October 1976. During that time there were four churches
implemented of the meals. They made the first meal at St.
Martin Episcopal church in a small basement. In 1989
Friendship Trays raised more than $80,000 to renovate the
church’s kitchen. By the mid 1990’s, the community increased
the demand for the meals on wheels trays, forcing them to
move again. The church was big enough to produce about

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500 meals a day, however, it was not enough for organization’s
goal.

Next time the organization raised $350,000 to relocate their
space to a warehouse located at Distribution Street, which is
their current location. Nowadays, Friendship Trays has more
than 800 recipients. The meals follow doctors prescribed
diets and accommodate the client’s food preference.

The Chef Lamont gave us some insight about the
organization; he said he serves 650 meals a day.The most

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popular entrees are baked chicken, beef stew and macaroni
and cheese. The Chef’s favorite dish to cook is meatloaf. He
estimated that 150 kids needs sandwiches daily for daycare.
They even customized their food according to the festivities
days. When Christmas comes it is time for the chef to cook
turkey, ham, collard greens, potatoes and chocolate cherry
cake. Chef Lamont stated that his vision is to expand to a
non-profit culinary school. He wanted to take chance from
my interview to thank the community for the donations and
encourage more people to volunteer.

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Chef Bennett finds this job at friendship trays very rewarding
experience because he helps those who really cannot afford a
meal a day. By working at the organization, helped him to also
interact with different volunteers and different organization.
He appreciates the positive influence of his colleague Chef
Lamont. He learned a lot about his life involving himself
with different issues at the organization.

Miss Lani is one of the directors of volunteers from the
organization. She needs at least 120 volunteers every day.
She would like to encourage the local younger generation to

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come to volunteer. She has noticed that new generations are
more service orientated. They can adapt into the environment
easily. Miss Lani’s service ideal for volunteer is committing
few hours once a day several times a week. She hopes this
program continues for many years with the help of local
farmers producing fresh healthy ingredients and volunteers
transforming them to delicious food which will draw a smile
in every client.

You can support Friendship Trays with your hours and dollars by
visiting friendshiptrays.org.

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