An array of eye-catching baked goods, each producing its own aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, and strawberry, sits patiently upon the countertop in the cooking room, waiting to be eagerly eaten by Foodie Friends members lined up around the space.
These colorful desserts were enjoyed at the Foodie Friends’ first meeting on Monday, September 15. The meeting’s theme was a children’s birthday party, and treats included Cosmic Brownies, chocolate chip cookies, a cake from a childhood show called Max and Ruby, apple cider donuts, and more.
Foodie Friends is a club where students bake their own treats at home according to the meeting’s theme, and bring them in to share with friends and new faces during fifth block. While enjoying their treats, club members discuss ideas for future themes, club fundraisers, and service projects, and then have the opportunity to vote for their favorite treat from the meeting.
Club president, junior Roxanna Shelton, and vice presidents, senior Sabine Fried and junior Kaylin Fava, help reserve the cooking room and pick themes for the monthly meetings.
“We try to meet once in a while to choose the schedule, so we met before school started,” Shelton said. “Everyone brought things that hopefully reminded them of their childhood memories.”
It’s no secret that baking is a common pastime for Haven students, and the club provides students with an outlet to share that talent. A love for the hobby is what encouraged Fava to first join the club as an underclassmen.
“I like baking for other people, and I love it when people love my baking,” Fava said.
However, not all meetings are restricted to sharing and bringing food. Expanding to include projects that benefit the school and district community is a goal that the presidents have for the club this school year.
“[We plan on] making goodie bags for Media Food Bank, or giving cards to the lunch aides,” Fava said. “We want to do a book drive and a food drive – we’re planning a couple of different donation drives. Those will be a couple of our non-themed meetings.”
To plan these events, the presidents have remained in touch with the former club leaders to ensure smooth sailing for the future.
“We have some ideas that we’re talking to the past presidents about, they were the ones who really wanted to push for a book drive,” Shelton said. “We are trying to seriously do that book drive in November.”
These projects require planning and fundraising by club leaders. In addition to meeting outside of school to plan for meetings, the club leaders have been brainstorming ways to fund various service projects.
“We’re definitely going to try to do some bake sales. For Halloween and different holidays, we might [sell] goodie bags or boo bags, we might label [them], or something for Valentine’s Day,” Shelton said.
Something that encourages club members to keep coming back is not only the food, but the chance to win “Best Dessert.” The person whose dessert has the most votes at meetings wins a special prize at the following meeting.
“I liked all the food, and I’m glad people brought stuff in,” club member and junior Hannah Kille said. “I baked chocolate chip cookies, and I won the contest!”
The club leaders seek to not only provide a place for food sharing and giving back to the community, but also for meeting new people.
“I like just getting together and eating some food with a random group of people,” Fava said. “I think it’s a nice, chill fifth block. It’s fun.”
