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Work ends and cars fill the streets, single Airmen return to their dorms; usually, in an hour they’d grab a to-go meal from the cafeteria and eat while in front of the TV, but this Thursday night is different. Over at the Wired Bean, volunteers are hard at work preparing ground beef, chicken, steaming hot rice and all sorts of veggies for junior Airmen missing home.
Every 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday, the Wired Bean hosts Ohana Night, serving free, home-cooked meals to single Airmen from all across Kadena.
“Ohana Night is an opportunity to bring people together over food,” said Melissa Rafferty, director of the Wired Bean, a Chapel-run community center. “The people who walk through the open doors, they all have jobs, they all have paychecks, they can get pizza and fast food whenever they want, but they don't get a home-cooked meal if they're staying in the dorms.”
The meals are paid for and prepared by volunteer agencies from all over Kadena. Regular supporters include, the Kadena Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team, The Chief’s Council, the Chaplain Corps and the First Seargents.
Rafferty states that the majority of units who volunteer are those who have been referred by others that participated in Ohana Night before and realized how incredible of an opportunity it is to support young Airmen.
As dinner time draws closer, crockpots and casserole dishes are laid end-to-end until no counter space remains. Due to the Chapel’s involvement, extra care is taken to have options available for all religious dietary restrictions, something that is not always available to dorm Airmen. Soon enough, people begin to arrive; some alone and others in groups, laughing and catching up after a long work week. The food being offered draws together a diverse group of junior Airmen who mingle and begin to form their found family.
“Because of technology, Airmen are able to stay connected with their families back home, and they don't try to connect here,” said Rafferty. “Being able to get people around a table, face to face, so they can look into the eyes of somebody else is important. Then they will hopefully do the hard work of making friends.”
At 7 p.m., silence falls across the crowded room as members of the Chapel and the Wired Bean Council give thanks for the generosity of all the volunteers who made this night possible. An explosion of conversation and laughter follows after, Airmen rush into line, excited to taste the home-cooked meal that’s been filling the room with a comforting smell.
“My favorite thing about Ohana Night isn’t exactly the food being served, but it’s the people that I get to meet and interact with,” said Airman 1st Class Jadon Lennon, Wired Bean council member. "Ohana Nights are the best way for us to show that we can relate to what others are going through because we all go through similar struggles; that creates a found-family.”
| Date Taken: | 07.04.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.11.2024 02:06 |
| Story ID: | 475726 |
| Location: | KADENA AIR BASE, JP |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ohana means family, by A1C Catherine Daniel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
