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Students serve up annual meal 

Students will arrive at Berkeley High School today at 8 a.m. to start a marathon four hours of cooking for the eighth annual holiday meal.  

But things are a little different this year. Entirely on their own, the students are cooking and serving the holiday meal for 400 of Berkeley’s homeless. And in the process these student leaders are unwittingly learning how difficult leadership can be.  

“It’s a lot harder because everything is completely student run. But the students are taking the initiative,” said 18-year-old senior Maria Herrera, president of the Associated Student Body. “That’s special, it shows the devotion.” 

Students have a new student activities coordinator this year, Michele Janssen, but she’s out on sick leave and unable to help out. The coordinator of the past few years, Jamie Marantz, left last year. 

“It’s hard because we’re just moving to a new teacher – it’s hard adjusting to that,” said Laura Bernhard, a student in the leadership class. “(Marantz) knew what had to be done. There’s no manual you can go by. You just have to do it and get it done,” said Bernhard. 

Getting it done started six weeks ago. Students dedicated three days a week of their leadership class to the holiday meal, leaving the other two days for dances, rallies, and other student events. Two can drives, one at the homecoming rally and one last week garnered about 1,500 cans of food. A one period long, one day penny drive reaped an extra $800 for more supplies. 

“We always have food left over,” Herrera said. “A lot of the stores from the community donate.” 

She said Home Depot, Costco, Albertson’s, Andronico’s, Safeway, Noah’s and Jamba Juice are some that provided donations.  

The food preparation work began at 9 a.m. Friday, when students from the leadership class began moving cans and products to the Good Food Café. At 5 p.m., students were dancing around pots of beans and slicing dozens of cucumbers. In years past as many as 700 people have come to feast on the turkeys, mashed potatoes, pasta, ham, greens and desserts that the students dish up. This year students hope to serve 400 people, contacted through community shelters and reached through handing out fliers in the street. 

The leadership class, which does the majority of the work, is made up of the members of the Associated Student Body, the student representatives from each class year in school, the Link crew – mentor students that organize activities for freshmen, and students who apply for membership.  

Daniel Jarvis,15, elected to be in the class of about 35 students. “It’s a total win-win situation,” he said. “It’s something that’s fun that’s enriching other people’s lives.”  

Herrera said the Associated Student Body leaders, “basically run the class.” They are charged with keeping up morale and making sure all the work gets done.  

“Sometimes we act as mother figures,” Herrera said, as students around her carted boxes of cans to the Good Food Café. “We know that there’s a difference: there’s work time and play time. Right now it’s work time, but when the meal time comes it’s really fun.” 

In addition to those students who work the holiday meal for a grade, 90 students signed up to volunteer for the event. Natosha Fisher, 15, is one of these. “I’ve always had that thing about the homeless,” she said. “I’m so emotional about it so I figured I’d help someone out, someone less fortunate.” 

Sometimes, especially during the morning task of lifting and toting boxes, some students began to feel a little frustrated, and had to remind themselves of the end goal. 

“There’s no, ‘You win a thousand dollars at the end of the year,’” said Laura Bernhard, 15. “It’s just the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping out your fellow Berkeley people, helping out the community.” 

Herrera concurred. 

“It’s overwhelming. People say thank you so many times. It brings you back into perspective. They are thankful for a plate of food and we’re thinking about Nikes,” said Herrera.