CCB MEDIA PHOTO
Chongyang Ma, 21, XueZhang, 22, and Caiying Zhong, 23, all J1 visa students from China, begin preparations for serving an international meal to homeless families at the Village at Cataumet homeless shelter.
CATAUMET – A group of foreign students arrived yesterday at the Village at Cataumet, a family homeless shelter, with a message of good will and nutrition.
The shelter is one of four run by Housing Assistance Corporation, which also runs the NOAH homeless shelter in Hyannis, Angel House in Hyannis and Carriage House in North Falmouth.
The students, many of whom work at McDonald’s restaurants on Cape Cod, prepared dinner for more than 50 shelter residents—parents and children—sharing international dishes from their homelands.
The students are in this country on J1 visas that allow work and travel.
Chinese student Chongyang Ma, known as Delta, organized the service project. She said six to eight students were participating in making and serving the meal.
CCB MEDIA PHOTO
Chongyang Ma, a J1 visa student, cuts sushi to serve to homeless families at a shelter in Cataumet as part of a service project.
Ma said the menu would include foods from all over the world, including a Russian dish with potatoes, beans, onions, and vinegar; sushi from Japan and hotcakes from China.
Making the large meal was easier than she expected, she said.
“Actually at first I thought it would be difficult but with so many students helping, it will be fine,” she said.
Ma said she visited Washington, DC recently and met with a food bank official where she learned the great need for healthy food in this country.
“We want to serve some healthy foods from all over the world to give to the children so that they can grow up healthier,” she said.
By LAURA M. RECKFORD, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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