As Thanksgiving approaches closer in the United States, a high school in Chicago specializing in agricultural sciences on Monday found themselves preparing Thanksgiving meals for the seniors in the city.
The Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences has an annual event that has been going on for 10 years where students create food for seniors. Many of the students have been preparing and cooking the Thanksgiving meal since Monday, hoping to give the seniors a home-cooked meal for the holiday, according to ABC 7.
This annual event is the first time that it has happened in-person since the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of the students and staff are excited to contribute to the tradition and help out the people and seniors there.
“During this season of giving thanks, we want to bring people together. So we're excited to get people back in the gym this year,” 19th Ward Ald. Matt O'Shea said.
The ingredients used for the home-cooked meals are largely grown and prepared within the school, with preparation for the holiday cooking starting as early as June 1 when the students pick out turkeys to raise for food, CBS News reported.
Every detail will reportedly be organized by the students: not just the preparation and cooking of the meal, but also the set-up of the table centerpieces which the seniors can actually bring home with them after the dinner.
“We have to sauté the vegetables and steam them,” Anaya Mackey, a student in the school, said. “Brine the turkeys, butter the turkeys, season the turkeys... we have sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce.”
Thanksgiving in 2022 falls on Nov. 24, Thursday for everyone in the United States. Many of the students feel a sense of duty in helping out and doing the tradition in order to give happiness in the lives of the seniors that will benefit from the program.
“It means a lot to give back because a lot of the seniors won't be able to have a Thanksgiving dinner with their family,” student Anika Dooley said.
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