Sunday Dinner at Frank Young Park
By Ron Rice
Sharon Clark of Aspirehouse Indy watched a documentary on African-American culinary histories and traditions and gave me a call with an idea to bring back the traditional "Sunday Dinner" but on a community level.
Our purpose, to bring back the one thing our culture did consistently, Sunday Dinners. Getting our seniors isolated for so long because of Covid-19 back out into the fold with their neighbors. To promote healthier food choices.
As DipIn's Community Health Worker Rep., with projects geared towards better prevention and diabetes awareness, I took Sharon's idea to our resident-led steering committee. We took on a sponsorship role for this project, and on June 25, we had our first dinner.
We chose Frank Young Park as the site. Gathered volunteer cooks and invested in local restaurants to provide tasty, wholesome, and nutritious foods for our residents. Sharon also ensured that the residents were treated to an elegant setting. They were respectfully served and not just another buffet. As part of my DipIn responsibility, I shared with our guests all the free fitness opportunities our organization has created to improve their health.
What a Success! At our first dinner in June, we saw 26 residents. However, in July, that number doubled to 54! More seniors and residents came out, and we saw teachers from Global Prep and folks who lived here come back to dine with us.
We will be coming back on Sunday, August 29, and plans are for September and October. So, if you want a seat at the table, please call Sharon Clark at 317-414-7778 to RSVP, and we will be happy to serve you too!