Starting in the fall of 2013, DHS offered a new service club designed to bring students together to have fun and enjoy food at the same time: Charger Chefs. Held every third Wednesday of each month, Charger Chefs is a cooking club that gives students a chance to mentor special education classmates.

Charger Chefs is run by the help of Mrs. Hayes, a special education teacher, and five parent volunteers, Michelle Mork, Angela Pasek, Cheryl Owen, Suzanne Leonhardt, and Susan Drumright.

“The [special education students] have a lot to offer, and we wanted the broader community of DHS students to have a chance to get to know them,” Drumright said. “It is a win-win for everyone. This year, we are offering casual lunches where the kids follow a recipe and eat lunch together.”

Junior Sunny Kim has been attending the monthly lunches after she learned about it through NHS. She praised Charger Chefs as a fun way to incorporate cooking into meeting new people and helping them out.

“It’s a great experience,” Kim said. “You feel satisfaction through helping out the kids and you have fun by cooking good food with your friends. My favorite [recipe] so far has been the grilled cheese and tomato soup.”

Charger Chefs has been funded by a grant that was written by Hayes, but the money has been running out. In hopes of continuing Charger Chefs, they are running a Valentine’s Day Fruit Kabob fundraiser to raise more funds. Charger Chefs could also use some extra money to expand the club.

“We would love to add a second meeting per month so that more students could be involved, but we need to raise some funds,” Drumright said.

Sign-ups are available in the office to be a part of Charger Chefs. There is limited space, so sign-ups are on a first come first serve basis.

To be updated on the club, join the Charger Chefs 2014-2015 Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/groups/750677828322561

By Cindy Tae