Haddock Dinner Supporting Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors

03/10/2020

Council: 10020 - No. WINDHAM

Project Description:

Maine winters can be very long and depressing for people living on the margins and heating costs a choice between food and health. Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a local all volunteer program which seeks to help by providing fuel assistance on a emergency basis.

A Brother Knight of this Council and his wife volunteer with Neighbors Helping Neighbors by being members of the Board of Directors. Our Council holds an annual fund raiser – a haddock dinner – to raise funds to support the efforts of our Brother Knight, his wife, and the people of our community in need.

The work for this event began a month before the actual event with several Brother Knights taking the lead on publicity – sending announcements to local papers, posting the event on the parish sign, printing and stuffing flyers into the parish bulletin, announcing the event at parish masses, and personally encouraging parishioners to attend post mass on the day of the event. Another Brother Knight took the lead to obtain and purchase the haddock from the Harbor Fish Market. Two other Brother Knights took the lead to obtain the remaining food and supplies needed for the event.

On the morning of the event, February 29, 2020, eight Brother Knights and 3 spouses arrived early to prepare foe the event – setting up the parish hall, moving the movable walls, putting up the tables and chairs, setting out the table cloths, centerpieces, place mats, napkins, salt/pepper, pre-washing the knives/forks/spoons and plates, and setting p the coffee urns and punch/water jugs. After the Knights rinsed the fish, the three spouses weighed and prepped the fish with spices, butter, and breading. Brother Knights peeled and cut the potatoes and carrots. In the afternoon, eleven Brother Knights and three spouses finished the cooking and setting out the long table of deserts. The meal consisted of baked haddock, mashed potatoes, carrots, rolls, butter, coleslaw, coffee/tea/punch and a long table of individual desert servings. A pizza alternative was available for those who do not like haddock. Over 96 meals were served. A 50/50 raffle was held to raise additional money. Members from the Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbor spoke to all about their cause. After the event, Brother Knights and family members washed the dishes, cleaned up the tables, put away the tables and chairs, and put the parish hall back into standard setup. Five Hundred dollars from the event was donated to the charity.