Local restaurateur Victoria Connolly will be honored Monday, Oct. 1 as Crossroads for Youth’s ‘Volunteer of the Year? at the nonprofit agency’s open house and annual meeting.
‘I was surprised and honored,? said Connolly, who owns Victoria’s Delights in Oxford. ‘They have tons of volunteers. I was really surprised that they picked me.?
‘We wanted to make this year’s annual meeting more of a celebration of our many friends, volunteers and supporters,? said Dr. Janet McPeek, president of Crossroads for Youth. ‘We owe so much to the many people who provide funds and time to help us provide quality services and educational activities for our kids.?
Not only has Connolly volunteered her restaurant as the site for numerous Crossroads for Youth activities, she also taught a 10-week culinary arts class this summer for at-risk youth.
Originally, Crossroads had simply asked her to develop a curriculum for the class, but when Connolly found out they were looking for someone to teach it, she jumped at the opportunity.
‘I’m a big supporter of Crossroads and what they do,? she said. ‘Sometimes kids make poor choices or have a rough family life and I think they deserve a break or two. Kids today are facing a whole different set of challenges from when I grew up.?
Crossroads for Youth provides education, support and counseling for thousands of at-risk youth and their families in southeastern Michigan.
Even though the class lasted 1? hours each Monday night, Connolly estimated she put in ‘close to eight hours a week? when it came to doing all the shopping, making lesson plans and washing dishes.
Connolly paid for all the food the class used out of her own pocket even though Crossroads offered to reimburse her.
‘They don’t have that big a budget over there,? she said.
Connolly’s all-male class of 12 prepared dishes ranging from gourmet pizzas and nachos to pasta and stir-frys. They even whipped up some strawberry short-cake and fresh ice cream.
‘I tried to make the menu kid-friendly, but at the same time expose them to some different foods and ingredients,? she said.
‘Grand finale? of the class was a buffet luncheon prepared and served by the students for the teachers, staff and fellow residents of Crossroads.
Besides cooking, students learned about ‘all the different job opportunities in the food service industry.?
‘Chefs just don’t work at restaurants,? Connolly said. ‘They’re needed at hospitals, wellness facilities, hotels.?
Students also practiced their customer service skills on each other, particularly how to deal with difficult or rude customers.
‘We talked about how to keep cool,? Connolly said.
In the beginning, Connolly said teaching the class was ‘real difficult? because the guys ‘didn’t want to open up.?
‘I had a hard time winning them over at first,? she said.
After a while, Connolly said ‘they really got into it? and by the end of the class, she ‘hugged them all? good-bye.
‘I think the whole experience gave them a lot of self-confidence,? she noted.
Personally, Connolly found her time at Crossroads ‘very, very rewarding,? especially seeing her students ‘so happy and so proud of themselves.?
‘When it was all done, I went home and told my boyfriend I feel really good today. I work hard every day but I actually felt like I did something that made difference. It was something that came from my heart.?
Connolly plans on teaching another class at Crossroads and taking on a student as an intern at her restaurant, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year.
Two other ladies will also be honored by Crossroads at their annual meeting next week.
Oxford resident Sharon Heskitt, an Oakland University clinical instructor, will be recognized for bringing nursing students to the Crossroads campus for training, which included holding workshops and performing health assessments on Crossroads youth.
Peggy Hamilton, executive director of the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, will accept a special thank you on behalf of her organization’s Women’s Fund.
The fund provided a grant for a de-stressing workshop for Crossroads? girls. During the open house, the girls will demonstrate some of the stress reduction techniques they learned including yoga, exercise, hand massages, problem-solving skills and much more.
Crossroads is inviting the public to attend both the open house, which begins at 4 p.m., and the dinner and program beginning at 6 p.m. on Oct. 1.
‘This gives the public a chance to see and experience firsthand what we do for our youth,? McPeek said.
Guests who would like to attend the open house and dinner should RSVP to Tammy Woods at (248) 628-2561, Ext. 211 or e-mail tammy.woods@crossroadsforyouth.org.