For volunteers, cooking up meals for shelter clients is no chore

Photos of volunteers who have prepared dinner for clients of a transitional housing facility in Laguna Beach cover a wall inside the dining room. The pictures remind residents of what happens when people donate their time and talents to serve others.

For more than 10 years, volunteer groups have cooked dinner for clients of the Friendship Shelter, a South Coast Highway facility that provides housing, food and job training to up to 32 men and women at a time to help them become self-sufficient.

About 15 groups rotate cooking duty as part of the shelter’s guest chef program. These volunteers include a team of Saddleback Valley Unified School District employees who prepared a meal Tuesday night.

A member of the team, Tama Adams, an office manager at Valencia Elementary School in Laguna Hills, started cooking for Friendship Shelter clients five years ago. Her daughter wanted to do a service project, and Adams found out the employee union she was part of was volunteering at the shelter.

She recruited help and now the group cooks the first Tuesday of every month. Joining Adams this week were Valencia teachers Jana Holmes and Dean Steidle, campus supervisor Patty Quisenberry, and Trabuco Hills High School attendance clerk Nancy Murphy and her husband, Kevin.

The group has prepared chicken pot pies and bacon-wrapped meatloaf. For Tuesday’s meal, Adams, who chooses the menu, decided on tarragon-mustard chicken with rice, broccoli, kale salad and, for dessert, ice cream sandwiches.

Adams did prep work before heading to the shelter at 4:30 p.m. At home, she made the chicken broth that formed the base of the mustard-cream sauce. Adams also fried the chicken breasts earlier in the day so they would only need to be warmed up in the oven at the shelter.

Volunteers usually pay for ingredients and can use items from the Friendship Shelter’s pantry if needed. Groups can prepare the meal — for 40 to 45 people — ahead of time, or cook from start to finish at the shelter, which has pots, pans, stove and oven.

“We want volunteers to make a balanced meal with a protein and fresh vegetables or fruit,” shelter program manager Analisa Andrus said.

The Saddleback Valley group moved seamlessly in the kitchen, each with his or her assigned task. At service time, three people stood in front of three pots that contained the rice, sauce and broccoli. Each volunteer ladled his or her item onto plates, and Kevin Murphy handed dinner to clients.

Nancy Murphy said the most gratifying part of the evening is serving people a meal.

“I wish I could feed all the people I pass on the street,” she said.

Client George Perez sat on the outdoor patio and gave the food a thumbs up.

“It’s so cool to know there are people out there like that,” Perez said.

Shelter guests cook on nights when no volunteers are scheduled. One night Perez prepared a riff on hamburger spaghetti.

“I grilled the patties to get that smoky flavor and added a tomato sauce,” Perez said.

Volunteers make extra plates for shelter clients who are not at the facility when dinner is served.

Adams said she looks forward to cooking for shelter clients every month.

“It’s stressful at times because I worry if we’re going to run out of food,” Adams said. “I love it. Everyone is so appreciative and we get to fellowship with the guests.”

Dinner isn’t the only meal where people can get involved.

Volunteers including Girl Scout troops and church groups occasionally donate sack lunches and cook weekend breakfasts and brunches.

The shelter is always looking for guest chefs. Visit the shelter’s website at friendshipshelter.org for more information.