St. James Lenten Fish Fry, the most awesome lenten fish fry in the DC area!
What an energized start! After days of prepping and a short prayer by Father Scalia-the fry began. Logistically-there were a few kinks but at this point our volunteers are expert adapters. Both in-person and drive-thru stations were non-stop. At the end of the night, about 1200 meals were served.
Standing over hot oil frying hushpuppies infuses the clothes with a very special smell. Washing and airing only goes so far. After the last fry of the Lenten season, the clothes are washed, aired, and stored in the garage. Time to bring them in! We hope to see you tonight.
Friday was the Feast of St. Joseph, earthly father to Jesus and husband of Mary. He is also the patron saint of Workers. I like to think he was shining down upon us as all volunteers at the Fish Fry were at their best. Special shout out to our morning crew who does everything from wash and prepare potatoes to cupping cole slaw and tartar sauce. Eleven minutes was the longest wait time from ordering to receiving a meal during the rush. That is quite amazing. We served 860 dinners this week. This Friday will be our last Fry for this Lenten season. The weather is supposed to be lovely and we will be prepared for a great turnout. So come join us this Friday. We look forward to seeing you!
Community service is an important part of our Fish Fry. Over the past four weeks, we have served over 3600 meals (including over 900 last Friday) with an all volunteer crew. We are blessed with people who are willing to give part of their day for others. Some of the volunteer assignments include thawing fish, washing potatoes, cutting cake, putting cole slaw, mac & cheese and tartar sauce into cups, frying food (sometimes in less than ideal conditions), and cleaning up at the end of the evening. I marvel at the dedication of all of the marvelous volunteers. They are a rarified group indeed! This past week our longest wait time was less than 15 minutes from order to delivery. That is impressive. We hope you will come join us again.
What a phenomenal night of community! On Friday night our Lenten Fish Fry project partnered with the St. James Food Distribution program for those in need. On the first Friday of every month our food distribution provides groceries to those in need. With the pandemic the need has risen. In addition to groceries, we were able to provide hundreds of dinners to those needing assistance.
We know that lines and times were longer than expected. Despite obtaining extra volunteers, planning the flow for the extra crowd, and shopping and preparing extra food, it was very, very busy. In about 4 hours we distributed more than 1200 prepared meals. That is 300+ meals each hour. All done with a volunteer crew!
Saint James Lenten Fish Fry