Michaelle House

If you plan to provide and serve dinner at Michaelle House, the following information may be helpful as you plan your project:

What you need to know about the meal:

• Plan food for 10 residents, one staff member and the number in your group.
• Be ready to serve dinner at 5:30 PM.  You are welcome to arrive earlier to visit with the residents and use the kitchen to prep as needed.
• A propane BBQ is available for your use.  (let us know if you plan to BBQ so we can ensure that it is filled with propane.)
• It is easiest to prepare most everything ahead and then arrive early enough to do last minute preparation or heating.
• There is a fully stocked kitchen at your disposal including a microwave, oven, stove, refrig, pots and pans, utensils, ice.
• Bring paper products to make clean up a breeze - paper plates, plastic cups, plastic utensils.  Plan to leave any extra paper products with the house as they can always use more of these kind of items.  If you do use the plates, cups, utensils in the kitchen you will need to wash them and put everything away.
• The residents like most everything but are especially fond of BBQing. 
• Bring a dessert - they look forward to it.  Consider providing a diabetic friendly second dessert.
• Provide sodas - include diet.

Where to park and enter:

• Park in the large gravel lot on the left just past the house.
• Enter through the front door but once they know you are there, you can open up the side door leading into the gravel lot to transport food into the kitchen.  Ask any of the residents and they will be happy to help you.

 What to expect:

• There is seating for about 12 people around the tables.  While there may not be room for your entire group to sit down at the tables, it is always great if a few members of your group join the residents at the table as that is where conversation happens.  There are tables and chairs out on the patio.
• Not all of the residents will necessarily join you for dinner.  It depends on  how they are feeling healthwise.  Generally count on 6-8 that will consistently be there at dinner.  The others may eat later in their rooms if they are not up to visiting with guests.  So be sure to leave any leftovers for these residents.
• It is fine if a member of your group wants to pray out loud before starting to serve the food but be sensitive to the fact that not everyone in the room is a believer.
• Most of the residents will need help getting their food.  The best course is to follow the lead of the staff member and ask each resident what they would like as they come in and sit at the table.  Then prepare their plate and serve them.  This is fun!  A good ice breaker!

Other things to know:

• Generally serving a meal at Michaelle House takes about 2-3 hours.  Most of the residents head off to bed around 8:30PM.

• This is a kid friendly activity best suited for children 8 yrs and older.  The residents love the energy that kids can bring.  Kids need to be able to respect house rules.

• Respect the residents privacy.  You are welcome to visit in the common areas such as the living room, dining area, kitchen and TV room but do not enter any bedrooms.

• There are two dogs on the property. They are friendly but both are older dogs and may get cranky if small children crawl and poke at them.

• There is a staff/volunteer only bathroom that is located next to the kitchen. It has a sign posted to identify it and you can always ask a resident if not sure where it is.

• Consider an after dinner activity such
• Card games (Uno, Phase 10, Go Fish, etc.) or board games, Mad Gab, Taboo, etc.
• Bunco - fun with gift certificates as prizes.
• Bring a movie and popcorn - they have a DVD and VHS player in the TV room.
• Plan a music night - guitars, sing songs (there is a piano in the living room.
• Karaoke - they love this!
• Or just sit and visit  - many of the residents enjoy conversing with new people.

ABOVE ALL ELSE....Remember that it is not the food so much as your company that the residents enjoy!