youth meal team

we had a youth led meal team tonight at Teen Feed.  by youth i mean the clients, the kids that we serve.  i was in charge of coordinating the team.  it was so much fun.  to see the kids super excited to cook.  some of them cooked some delicious stuff.  but it was cool to interact with them on a different level.  i was super impressed by all of them.  they totally took initiative and did their thing.  but most of all, i think it was good for all of the kids that come to Teen Feed to see their peers cooking and serving the food.  as an agency that serves youth, we need to have youth take a part in what we are doing.  it makes them feel like they have a part and a voice.  it is super important.  the kids had tons of fun.  they wanted to know when they could do it again.  and i was thinking, these kids never get a chance to cook food.  they don't have a kitchen or the money to buy food or spices or utensils, etc.  they rely on Teen Feed each night for food.  and other people cook for them always.  they don't get to prepare it and they don't get to decide what they eat.  so i think it was really awesome for these kids to get in the kitchen and cook themselves and their peers some food.  it was just a fun night all around.  a little chaotic.  but fun.  i really enjoyed it.  it was cool to spend one of my last days having such a fun night.  but it also made me even more sad to be leaving these kids and Teen Feed and my coworkers.