WCU Nutrition Department, Aramark & Safe Harbor Join in Thanksgiving Meal Prep for Safe Harbor Residents

November 26, 2024

WCU Nutrition Department, Aramark & Safe Harbor Join in Thanksgiving Meal Prep for Safe Harbor Residents

Members of West Chester University’s Nutrition Department, Aramark, and Safe Harbor came together on November 26 to cook and pack 50 Thanksgiving meals for the residents of Safe Harbor in West Chester. Pictured (l to r) are Grace McKelvey, Kaelyn Cooper, Justin Grilli, Jude Bourdeau, Wallace King, Sharief Gardiner, Dr. Jeanie Subach (center), Winston Roberts, Nicholas Page, Julian Clement, Regina White, Jessica Chappell, Dominic La Cava, Ethan Small.

The aroma from the West Chester University Food Lab in the Sciences and Engineering Center & The Commons (SECC) on November 26 was particularly familiar and especially enticing. A lot of pre-Thanksgiving cooking and meal packing for the residents of Safe Harbor, an area emergency shelter that provides services for adults experiencing homelessness, took place in the University’s high-tech nexus for all things nutritious and delicious. WCU Professor of Nutrition Dr. Jeanie Subach came up with the idea to give support and education to Safe Harbor’s cook and former resident, Regina White, before the big turkey holiday. Julian Clement was also part of the Safe Harbor contingent that provided lots of cooking assistance.

WCU Campus Chef Justin Grilli (Aramark) joined Subach, White, and Clement in the making of 50 Thanksgiving meals for the Safe Harbor residents’ upcoming feast. The four made sure that the homemade meal was complete with all the Thanksgiving fixings — turkey, soup, corn bread, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, cranberry sauce, collard greens, mashed potatoes, and mac & cheese.

WCU students helped quite a lot, too. Peeling numerous potatoes and making corn muffins were the members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity plus two of Subach’s nutrition graduate assistants and two dietetic interns.

Tuesday’s Thanksgiving cooking collaboration was a direct result of Subach’s sponsored grant research to analyze the food served to Safe Harbor residents. Subach’s research was sponsored by the University’s College of Health Sciences.

“My nutrition students and I are so grateful to the College of Health Sciences for funding this research grant that goes hand-in hand with our efforts to decrease food insecurity and increase healthy equity within the Chester County community,” said Subach.

“It takes a village to do something like this, and I am so thankful for the Food Systems Management Club, our WCU dietetic interns, my graduate assistants, Aramark, and the members of Alpha Phi Alpha,” Subach added. “All of us are thrilled to be able to collaborate with our Safe Harbor friends to make meals healthier for their residents and to have a positive impact on overall health outcomes.”

“Today is a wonderful day and just one example of the many ways that West Chester University supports Safe Harbor,” said Executive Director of Safe Harbor Jessica Chappell, who is also a 2001 West Chester University graduate.

“Our residents also benefit from collaborations with Stewardship and Civic Engagement via the Honors College with Dr. Geradina Martin, Ram Corps, a social policy class with Dr. Shannon McQueen, music therapy, and so many more,” Chappell added. “We have an ongoing relationship with the University that benefits all of our residents in such impactful ways.”

6abc Action News Covers Thanksgiving Meal Prep Made Possible by Dr. Jeanie Subach & Students