What happens in the kitchen when the summer is over? If you had asked me this question even last year, I wouldn't have had a clear answer for you. My experiences at Beacon in the off-season months usually consisted of a fall or winter weekend here and there. But now that it's my job to manage the kitchen, I realize that the fall is actually busy quite too! It’s a cycle of planning and preparing the kitchen for weekend or weekday groups followed by cleaning up and taking stock before starting the same cycle again. It’s a routine that I already like because it has its slow, relaxed spots and then the busy, “it's game time” spurts.

Another thing that I’m learning is that the food aspect is only half of the responsibility of the food services manager; the other half is the cleaning aspect. It is important to keep everything from the floors to the counters to the baking pans to the utensils sanitized and stored properly so that anyone who comes in to use Beacon’s facilities is able to work in a safe, healthy environment. It might not be as as exciting as the food part, but it is a vital part of what we do at camp.

There is still much to learn, but I find myself thinking how much I love my job as I move from one task to another. I am really thankful to be serving God as one of Beacon’s full-time staff, and I’d love to see you in the kitchen anytime this fall or winter and tell you more about what it’s like!

Alyssa LaRocque

(Editor's Note: There are still lots of spaces for cooks in the kitchen this fall! We really would love to have you help us out if you're able to spare a weekend or two!)