CPS students cook up Thanksgiving dinner for South Side seniors

Students at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences in Mount Greenwood had a special lesson Tuesday.

Starting at about 7 in the morning, a group of students began buttering turkeys, cutting up potatoes and preparing vegetables for a farm-to-table Thanksgiving feast.

Ten hours later, more than 400 seniors filed into the school’s gym for its annual Thanksgiving dinner, a neighborhood tradition now in its 13th year, organized by Ald. Matt O’Shea’s (19th) office with help from local restaurants and businesses.

“There are many reasons that the ward is a wonderful community, but tonight might be the No.1 reason,” O’Shea said to the dinner guests.

Among the seniors was Maureen Hurley, 76, who said she has been to the dinner at least five times before and has made it part of her Thanksgiving tradition. She said she most looks forward to the sweet potatoes.

“The food is always so delicious, and the kids are so helpful,” Hurley said of the student servers dashing between tables, carrying water and plates. “By the time you walk out, you are going to be really full.”

Moments earlier, the students in the high school’s food science program were busy putting finishing touches on the dishes alongside chefs Michelle Sandifer and Isagani Alma, who mentored the young cooks during the day.

“It was nice to share their excitement,” said Sandifer, who works at the Smith Village senior home. “We want to inspire them to follow their passion, just like we followed ours.”

The school, which hosts specialized programs in agriculture, has the only farm in the city. On Tuesday’s menu, the turkeys came from the farm — students in the school’s animal science program have raised them since July. They also raised the potatoes, sweet corn and pumpkins for the pies, which were planted in the spring.

Those dishes joined other Thanksgiving staples like stuffing, cornbread and cranberry sauce, as well as mac and cheese and cheesecake donated by local restaurants.

Josh Grimes, a food science teacher at the school, oversaw the kitchen — “this is my domain.” Grimes, a first-year teacher who graduated from the school in 2018, led his students in preparing the feast.

“I enjoyed seeing my students thinking like a true chef,” Grimes said, noting the opportunity to cook a full meal for guests while getting advice from professional chefs.

Noah Howe-Bowen, a graduate of high school and a first-year student at Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute, has helped with the annual Thanksgiving dinner since his junior year of high school, he said. He decided to return to his alma mater and help out with the tradition again this year.

Howe-Bowen said he started his day by preparing the turkey, then moved on to the baked sweet potatoes, one of his favorite dishes to cook: “You don’t need to be very precise when you are tossing everything together.

“Just being in the kitchen and seeing people work with food is my favorite thing,” he added.

Chris Onesto, 17, spent his day peeling and cutting potatoes and preparing the turkeys before setting up the pies, “I’ve done everything I needed to do. Long day, man.”

The senior in the food science program said he enjoyed carving the turkeys, which he had never done before, and working with the two chefs.

More than 150 students contributed to the Thanksgiving dinner, from planning to cooking to serving, and this year, the event served its 5,000th meal.

Ald. O’Shea said he sees engagement with his senior constituents as a priority, and the dinner helps bring them together, especially those who may not have a traditional Thanksgiving meal with friends and family.

“I promise there’s plenty of turkey to go around,” he said.