NEWS
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6 THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 2006
CAMPUS
Veggie Lunch continues in summer
Matt Petrie, Shawnee junior, eats at the veggie lunch Thursday afternoon at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave. Veggie lunch will still be available every Thursday beginning at 11:30 a.m. during summer classes.
Joshua Bicks/KANSAN
BY DANI HURST
dhurst@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Some regard the summer Veggie Lunch as one of the University of Kansas' summer secrets while others just consider it a tasty lunch.
Veggie Lunch at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave., doesn't just end when the spring semester ends but continues to serve throughout the summer semester.
Veggie Lunch offers vegetarian food cooked by volunteers and donated bread from both WheatFields Bakery and Cafe, 904 Vermont St., and Great Harvest Bread Co., 807 Vermont St. Veggie Lunch requests donations, any amount that a guest
can afford to give, which helps cover the cost of the food.
Some people put in as much as $20, Reverend Thad Holcombe, ECM campus minister, said. Some don't put any in. As long as the program breaks even, it doesn't matter to him.
Holcombe said that fall and spring Veggie Lunch normally serves about 110 to 130 guests every Thursday afternoon, while the summer lunches, still on Thursdays, only see about 30-40. Holcombe attributes the decrease in numbers to the summer heat and the lack of bodies around campus.
Mike Parrott, Austin graduate student and occasional volunteer cook, said the cooking process could be a "daunting" task, but there were always people to help out.
Parrott said he volunteers for many reasons, one of which is because he thinks of it as helping others by putting food back into the community.
"It gives you an opportunity to
learn about different cultures," Parrott said. "It's kind of a perspective-broadening experience."
said. He said sitting around a table is important to many people because it's about accepting everyone for who
This has nothing to do with just one culture or religion, Holcombe
SEE VEGGIE LUNCH ON PAGE 8