Meals on Wheels kicks on new kitchen campaign with music, comedy
The kickoff celebration with "After Hours Kitchen Cabaret," an original spoof written, produced and directed by John Burstein, and enhanced by the comic contributions of his cast, which included Dyke Messler, Andy O’Brien, Christine Burstein, Joan Welsh, Lynda Clancy, Des Fitzgerald, Lucinda Ziesing, John Hanson and Polly Saltonstall.
Andy O’Brien, managing editor of the Free Press, sings and laments the “bad rap” that bacon gets in The After Hours Kitchen Cabaret, a skit presented at the kickoff for the MCH-Meals On Wheels Kitchen Appeal campaign. This campaign is raising funds to support an MCH kitchen expansion to feed more seniors and people with special needs in the years ahead.
ohn Burstein, MCH-Meals On Wheels Kitchen Appeal campaign volunteer, performs with his wife, Christine, State Representative Joan Welsh and bass player Ezra Rugg at the Samoset Resort in The After Hours Kitchen Cabaret. The comic musical, written by John Burstein, was performed at the kickoff for a campaign to build a new kitchen for the organization to provide more meals for Knox County seniors and people with special needs.
Camden resident Dyke Messler, performs a rendition of “Mack the Knife,” at the MCH-Meals On Wheels Kitchen Appeal campaign kickoff held at the Samoset Resort. The organization is raising the funds needed to almost double the number of meals it can produce for seniors and people with special needs in Knox County.
ohn Burstein, MCH-Meals On Wheels Kitchen Appeal campaign volunteer, accompanies State Representative Joan Welsh, who performs as “Gluten,” singing, “What’s The Deal?” a zany song about food allergies. The skit was performed at the kickoff for a campaign to enlarge the kitchen and feed more seniors and people with special needs. Last year, volunteers delivered 32,421 hot meals to the homes of people living in Knox County.
n The Afterhours Kitchen Cabaret smoking hot lyricist, guitarist and campaign volunteer John Burstein accompanies Lucinda Zeising, playing the part of a very unordinary kitchen pan. Zeising sang a duet with a Silver Spoon, Des Fitzgerald, about making flambés and crepe suzettes at night in the kitchen. Burstein‘s original musical production was the highlight of the fundraising kickoff party held at the Samoset Resort to expand the organization’s kitchen and produce more meals for seniors and people with special needs in Knox County.
Salt and Pepper, essential spices in any kitchen, were played by Polly Saltonstall and John Hanson, who sang a spicy duet to open The Night Kitchen Cabaret, an original musical production by John Burstein, a volunteer member of the Kitchen Appeal Committee. John and a lively group of local residents sang and danced to help raise the funds needed to renovate the MCH-Meals On Wheels kitchen so the organization can meet the 25% increase in requests for meals they have received. The cabaret was the highlight at the fundraising kickoff party held at the Samoset Resort.
Penobscot Bay Pilot Editorial Director Lynda Clancy pretends to be a carton of milk in The After Hours Kitchen Cabaret, an original musical spoof written, directed and performed by John Burstein, a member of the Campaign Committee. Burstein accompanies Clancy, along with guitarist Phil Clement, at the kickoff for the MCH-Meals On Wheels Kitchen Appeal, a campaign to build a new kitchen to double the number of meals produced each week for home-bound seniors and people with special needs. Seventy-five volunteers deliver 125 home-cooked meals a day in Knox County, but as the populace of Mid-coast Maine continues to age, requests for meals have increased a dramatic 25%.
The kickoff celebration with "After Hours Kitchen Cabaret," an original spoof written, produced and directed by John Burstein, and enhanced by the comic contributions of his cast, which included Dyke Messler, Andy O’Brien, Christine Burstein, Joan Welsh, Lynda Clancy, Des Fitzgerald, Lucinda Ziesing, John Hanson and Polly Saltonstall.
Andy O’Brien, managing editor of the Free Press, sings and laments the “bad rap” that bacon gets in The After Hours Kitchen Cabaret, a skit presented at the kickoff for the MCH-Meals On Wheels Kitchen Appeal campaign. This campaign is raising funds to support an MCH kitchen expansion to feed more seniors and people with special needs in the years ahead.
ohn Burstein, MCH-Meals On Wheels Kitchen Appeal campaign volunteer, performs with his wife, Christine, State Representative Joan Welsh and bass player Ezra Rugg at the Samoset Resort in The After Hours Kitchen Cabaret. The comic musical, written by John Burstein, was performed at the kickoff for a campaign to build a new kitchen for the organization to provide more meals for Knox County seniors and people with special needs.
Camden resident Dyke Messler, performs a rendition of “Mack the Knife,” at the MCH-Meals On Wheels Kitchen Appeal campaign kickoff held at the Samoset Resort. The organization is raising the funds needed to almost double the number of meals it can produce for seniors and people with special needs in Knox County.
ohn Burstein, MCH-Meals On Wheels Kitchen Appeal campaign volunteer, accompanies State Representative Joan Welsh, who performs as “Gluten,” singing, “What’s The Deal?” a zany song about food allergies. The skit was performed at the kickoff for a campaign to enlarge the kitchen and feed more seniors and people with special needs. Last year, volunteers delivered 32,421 hot meals to the homes of people living in Knox County.
n The Afterhours Kitchen Cabaret smoking hot lyricist, guitarist and campaign volunteer John Burstein accompanies Lucinda Zeising, playing the part of a very unordinary kitchen pan. Zeising sang a duet with a Silver Spoon, Des Fitzgerald, about making flambés and crepe suzettes at night in the kitchen. Burstein‘s original musical production was the highlight of the fundraising kickoff party held at the Samoset Resort to expand the organization’s kitchen and produce more meals for seniors and people with special needs in Knox County.
Salt and Pepper, essential spices in any kitchen, were played by Polly Saltonstall and John Hanson, who sang a spicy duet to open The Night Kitchen Cabaret, an original musical production by John Burstein, a volunteer member of the Kitchen Appeal Committee. John and a lively group of local residents sang and danced to help raise the funds needed to renovate the MCH-Meals On Wheels kitchen so the organization can meet the 25% increase in requests for meals they have received. The cabaret was the highlight at the fundraising kickoff party held at the Samoset Resort.
Penobscot Bay Pilot Editorial Director Lynda Clancy pretends to be a carton of milk in The After Hours Kitchen Cabaret, an original musical spoof written, directed and performed by John Burstein, a member of the Campaign Committee. Burstein accompanies Clancy, along with guitarist Phil Clement, at the kickoff for the MCH-Meals On Wheels Kitchen Appeal, a campaign to build a new kitchen to double the number of meals produced each week for home-bound seniors and people with special needs. Seventy-five volunteers deliver 125 home-cooked meals a day in Knox County, but as the populace of Mid-coast Maine continues to age, requests for meals have increased a dramatic 25%.
On behalf of MCH-Meals On Wheels and the hundreds of senior citizens and people with special needs who participate in the Meals On Wheels food programs, I want to thank everyone for the exceptional support that we have received thus far for our campaign to build a new kitchen, and for the great participation we had for our campaign kickoff at the Samoset Resort.
Our kickoff was a terrific success because of the kind support we have received from donors, and the hard work of an outstanding campaign committee.
The celebration was greatly enhanced by the video, produced by John Burstein, that showed the current kitchen staff in operation—in a tiny space where 32,421 hot meals were produced last year.
The kickoff celebration was enlivened by the "After Hours Kitchen Cabaret," an original spoof written, produced and directed by John Burstein, and enhanced by the comic contributions of Lynda Clancy, Christine Burstein, Dyke Messler, Des Fitzgerald, John Hanson, Polly Saltonstall, Lucinda Ziesing, Joan Welsh and Andy O'Brien.
We want to especially thank the Samoset Resort, Walsh and Sons Ocean's Property for hosting the evening, and the staff at the resort for providing terrific assistance for the event.
We also want to thank the volunteer members of the Campaign Committee, who worked to put this event together, and who —with the support of individuals, businesses and foundations—have raised 74 percent of the $650,000 campaign goal.
The Campaign Committee members include Leslie Fillnow, chairman, Camden; Susan Thomas, vice chairman, Owls Head; John Burstein, Lincolnville; Sherrie Gibson, Rockport; Peter Gross, Camden; Marnie Read, Warren; Dyke Messler, Camden; and, Lois Stackpole-Alley, Rockport.
In the past three years, the Meals On Wheels program has had a dramatic 26 percent increase in the number of requests for meals.
With the kitchen expansion, Meals On Wheels will be able to keep pace with the predicted growth in the number of people who will need meals in the next few years. The renovations will almost double the size of the food preparation area.
The new design includes: enlarged, and redesigned work areas; upgraded zones for food preparation, cooking, dishwashing and storage; and, a redesigned driveway to improve traffic flow and safety for pickups and deliveries. The new kitchen will also include state-of-the art cooking and refrigeration equipment, improved workstations and air conditioning.
MCH, the organization that manages Meals On Wheels, also operates MCH-Transportation, which includes Coastal Trans, three local bus routes and a coupon program for seniors and people with disabilities who need transportation to medical appointments, shop, buy groceries and for other purposes.
MCH-Transportation operates in Knox, Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties, and in the towns of Brunswick and Harpswell.
MCH also administers the Methodist Conference Home in Rockland, an affordable, independent housing facility that is home to 48 older adults and people with special needs, and three other affordable independent housing facilities in the Midcoast: the Rankin Center and Stevens House in Rockland and the Knox Hotel Apartments in Thomaston.
Our great appreciation and thanks to our donors and volunteers, our staff and the participants in our program for all you are doing to help make the MCH-Meals On Wheels Kitchen Appeal a great success.
Lee Karker is executive director of MCH.
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