Temple Emanuel Really Cooks!

Probably the most fun to be had under the auspice of Temple Emanuel's Social Action umbrella is its crack team of RAM House cooks. They slice, they dice, they sing show tunes and crack jokes -- and an egg or two. They don't usually cut the cheese, but for some dishes, it is unavoidable. You get the idea.

RAM House is a local day shelter for area people in need. It provides coffee and snacks in the morning, a nutritious, hot meal for lunch, and has limited laundry facilities. In addition, the staff at RAM House conducts interviews with its participants to better understand their needs. From this interview, they can be referred to the various local agencies providing job training and placement, financial assistance and planning, and health and housing support services.

Temple Emanuel is responsible for the noonday meal at RAM House once a month -- the 2nd Sunday of every month. We cook from 9am-Noon, and assemble the plates of food from 11:30am-1pm. Up to 135 people, including children, are served at each lunch. RAM House is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and is located at 824 Campbell Avenue, next to the City of Roanoke Health Department (from downtown, just past 8th Street and Campbell).

If you’d like to join our happy crew of haphazard cooks with above-average looks, email Mim Young. Regular volunteers (those who will show up on a regular basis without needing a reminder) are ideal, but if you would like to be on the list as a last-minute back-up, that would be appreciated as well. RAM House cooking days are listed on the Temple Calendar.

If you would like to donate food or supplies to RAM House, the largest cans of food are preferable (when you have to open a gazillion cans for a meal, larger cans mean fewer cans to open!). Also needed is fresh meat, and pantry staples like pepper, hot sauce, salt, paper towels, napkins, small dessert plates, and Clorox-type bleach. And pot holders are very much needed in that kitchen!

Temple Emanuel donates over a ton of food to RAM House during our High Holy Days Food Drive every year. In 2001, we also purchased two extra racks for the new RAM House ovens, which were necessary to achieve the volume of food needed for the diners. Our SCOTTY Youth Group serves in the dining hall when our cooking falls on Mother's Day and Easter Sunday. RAM House is a wonderful community resource, and its diners are polite and quite thankful to those who volunteer.