16 Oct Burritos, peanut butter & Salmon by bridget brookman (Class of 1981)
It was a hot day in July of 1981 and I had been at CRI-Help for about 3 months. It was lunchtime and like clockwork, the technician on duty stood outside the dormitory and bellowed for us to come downstairs for chow. Back then, the dormitory was an old, converted Boys Club of America, furnished with three bunk beds in each room. It was sweltering that summer and unfortunately, the old “Boys Club “was not air conditioned. My lunch routine went something like this: I did not like to wait in line, so I took my time and lingeried in the dorms as long as possible. By time I moseyed on downstairs, everyone had been served and I walked right up to the cafeteria style window to get my meal. Square Scott was a resident kitchen aid and seemed to be perturbed that I was always last. “Someone has to be” was my response. What we had for lunch varied, depending on finances and donations. But there was one thing we could count on: a salad bar. Not your typical Whole Foods salad bar. These veggies were remnants from Skid Row, also known as Produce Row. Two male clients had the task of getting up at 2am to go downtown and retrieve all of the supermarket rejects. Sometimes, the lettuce looked more like soup.
After lunch that day, a staff member came into the dining room to make announcements. He stated that he had good news and bad news. The good news was that we had received a donation of frozen burritos. No more soupy salads for a while. The bad news was that we got so many, we would be eating them for 3 months. Let’s just say that by August, I really missed the soupy salad bar.
Somewhere between running out of burritos and getting reintroduced to the veggie remainders from Skid Row, the same staff member came into the dining room after lunch with an announcement. “I have good news and bad news,” he said. “The good news is that we are out of burritos and have just received a hearty supply of peanut butter. The bad news is that you will be eating it for 3 months.
“Gee” I thought, “Maybe we will finish it by the time I take my 6 months chip. “
Years went by and on a cool day in January of 2020, and I had been at CRI-Help for about a week. This time as a staff member. I walked into the dining room for lunch. The menu consisted of salmon with rice pilaf, and sauteed vegetables. No, the vegetables were not from Skid Row. I stood there in awe. From an abandoned Boys Club without air conditioning, to a 4 story, full-service treatment center with a restaurant style kitchen and professional chef.
From burritos and peanut butter to salmon, CRI-Help has come a long way and because of the love and nurturing I received here, so have I.