FRC: File this under the joy of cooking for teenagers. The parents of a classmate...

michael-in-phoenix

Well-known member
...of my son (he's a sophomore) came up to him and thanked him for "feeding our daughter" and taking care of her so well.

A little background: he is layout editor of the school's yearbook and he and his fellow student editors were pulling some pretty long hours on Fridays after school. For the last month they've been staying until nightfall, and sometimes past midnight, meeting yearbook deadlines. We always try to get them some snacks to munch on, or offer to bring pizza, etc., since they are so busy they often forget to eat. Usually it's a big plate of cookies or a coffee cake.

My son mentioned one of the girls is a vegan, so she always went hungry, as she doesn't plan snacks for herself real well. We decided to bake some vegan scones and cookies for her. She was so touched! Evidently no one had ever baked homemade goodies for her.

Her parents came up to my son at a school function and thanked him for being so thoughtful. They were very blessed.

He learned an important lesson: take care of the kids, and you bless the parents.

We had a neighborhood activist who lived in a gang-infested area. Her neighborhood association worked with the police, the Mayor's Office, etc., but to little good effect. She and some of the other neighbors started making little snack bags for the elementary school kids to grab on their way to school. They made over 100 bags a day, and passed them out to the little ones on their way to school. This went on for a couple of months.

My friend, the neighborhood activist, started noticing a significant drop in graffiti, property crimes and other gang-related activity in her area. She consulted her "informants" (teenagers who knew what was going on in the gangs) and found that the gang leaders were aware that the neighborhood association was taking care of the little ones. Their younger brothers and sisters were being blessed by the neighbors, so they didn't want to do their dirty deeds in my friend's area.

Sorry for the length, but I'm convinced of the power of cooking for others. Even though we all have stories regarding certain individuals being unappreciative of our efforts, we should never forget the power for good that our willingness to apply our talent wields.

Michael

PS: Picked up my younger son at his friend's house the other night. I had a warm plate of chocolate chip cookies for his friend and his family. As my son handed the plate to his friend, he looked up at me and exclaimed, "I LOVE YOU GUYS!"

 
As a cook AND a former high school yearbook staffer, I thank you for these stories.

I've always been aware of the power of cooking to reach people but this is this is the first time I've heard of it stopping gang graffiti!

 
Amen to that, Michael. I used to live in a "less than desirable" beach in San Diego, my neighbors

were Hell's Angels and other miscreants but every Sunday morning, before putting on my suit to sell cuisinarts to La Jolla matrons at Bullock's Dept. Store, I made them brunch.

Sure, one day "Snake" pulled a knife on "Bobo" when he took more than his share of roasted pepper and pancetta strata but when my apartment was broken into those guys were all over the poor junkie like white on rice. Talk about a security team!

I also protect every show I work on by baking for the crew. Amazing what folks will do when well supplied with comestibles.

 
awwwww.... what nice stories! One good deed... as they say. Reminds me of the movie "Pay It Forward"

 
Haven't been there since the 70's so I imagine it's changed a bit. My beach apt ran me $185 a month,

with a straight shot out my back door to the beach. Bonus feature, the hot and cold running roaches. Yee-haw!

 
Mission Beach, by the roller coaster was my hangout as a teen. Not quite as gritty...

...as OB, but it worked for me.

My "pals" were the main reason they banned alcohol on the boardwalk.

Back in the day...

Michael

 
Did you happen to see the t-shirts they sold in San Diego a few years back that said...

..."PARIS.... NEW YORK.... EL CAJON

I should've gotten one.

Michael

 
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