VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/09/15 -- It's a scene not often witnessed at Our Place: waiters and waitresses dressed in impeccable black and white while delivering savoury meals to the tables of Greater Victoria's homeless and impoverished.
But on Wednesday, March 11, that is exactly what will happen when 35 first-year students of Camosun College's Hospitality Management Training Program bring a touch of fine dining to the area's most vulnerable citizens.
"Just because you're homeless or living in poverty doesn't mean you can't enjoy the experience of a gourmet meal served with elegance," said Our Place Executive Director Don Evans. "The hospitality students get to practice their skills, learn more about giving back, and it's a real treat for our family members."
The special menu, served from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., includes: coffee-rubbed Tenderloin of Pork with pear & parsnip sauce; garlic mashed potatoes; roasted carrots, sweet peppers & onions with honey-balsamic glaze. For dessert: Granny Smith Apple Strudel with salted caramel sauce and vanilla-scented whipped cream. Plus Rich Swiss Rolls and whipped butter. Students will deliver table service, complete with all the amenities one expects from a fine dining experience.
"This is our fifth year partnering with Our Place, and it's a relationship we value greatly. Serving this special meal affords our Hospitality Management Business students the opportunity to explore innovative ways to create partnerships, build relationships, and give back to the community," said David Armstrong, program leader for Camosun's Hospitality Management. "You can talk about social responsibility, but it isn't real until you experience the very tangible results of participating in some form of community service."
Event: Camosun College's Hospitality Management Training Program Details: Students and their instructors will organize, prepare and execute a two-course, table-served meal for approximately 500 guests as the first applied introduction to their Integrated Restaurant Management course. When: Wed., March 11, 2015, 4:00pm - 6:00pm (Set up will begin at 3 p.m. for interviews, etc.) Where: Our Place Society, 919 Pandora Ave, Victoria Website: www.ourplacesociety.com Photos: Photos from last year's event are available by request.
Our Place is a unique inner-city community centre serving Greater Victoria's most vulnerable: working poor, impoverished elderly, mentally and physically challenged, addicted and the homeless. Individuals and businesses provide the majority of financial support for its programs and services. Our Place provides over 1,500 meals per day, hot showers, education, job skills, free clothing, counseling and outreach services, plus 45 transitional housing units. Most importantly, it provides a sense of hope and belonging to our neighbours in need.
Contacts:
Our Place Society
Grant McKenzie
Director of Communications
250-388-7112 ext. 225 or Cell: 250-217-2406
grantm@ourplacesociety.com
www.ourplacesociety.com
Camosun College
David Armstrong
Program Leader, Hospitality Management
250-370-3148
armstron@camosun.bc.ca