'We want to help our community:' Students prep Thanksgiving dinners at WCTC

WAUKESHA -- Students at Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) and Kettle Moraine High School came together for a good cause Nov. 20 -- preparing dozens of Thanksgiving dinners for those in need.

Jack Birren

The students began working at 8 a.m., working into the early afternoon in the WCTC kitchen.

Under the guidance of WCTC culinary instructor Jack Birren and culinary students, the high school students got a first-hand look at what experience in a professional kitchen environment.

"It's just really cool to see that, and everyone, the camaraderie to make these meals to give to people that are definitely going to be super excited to get them," said Birren.

Everything that was cooked will be donated to those in need -- families who could not afford to make their own dinner or people without families to spend Thanksgiving with.

Birren said that 28 total turkeys were ordered, along with ingredients for mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, biscuits and cranberry sauce to prepare about 200 meals.

"We want to help our community and all the people in our school have a nice Thanksgiving dinner," said WCTC student Shana Malecki. "I know people who haven't had Thanksgiving dinner in years, even at my house we'll have people over, so it's really nice to be able to help the whole community."