Forsythe students a well-oiled breakfast-serving machine

Evan Harris and Alexia Harris wash off the fruit before it goes out to the guests.

The Anna’s Kindness volunteers worked so efficiently and diligently Saturday morning to serve breakfast to those in need, you would have thought the middle schoolers were experienced adult servers.

They were that good.

Heather Hale fills up the fruit punch pitcher.

It was a smooth operation considering most of the students had not served breakfast at St. Andrew’s previously. The volunteers provided grits, oatmeal, treats, bagels, pastries, juice and coffee to those who filed in beginning at 7:30 a.m.

But then, for a moment, you are reminded that the volunteers aren’t adults quite yet.

“So wait, we serve alcohol?” asked Forsythe 6th grader Noah Silkworth, as he was pouring out juice for the guests at The Breakfast at St. Andrew’s.

No, why do you ask?

“Because of this,” he said, as he pointed to the words fruit ‘cocktail’ on the juice machine.

(Insert your smile here and, perhaps, remember the first time you saw that word and wondered the same thing).

Noah was tasked, as you likely guessed, with pouring the juice for the 100 or so guests that came to breakfast. He was responsive, engaging and even diplomatic (when asked whether the apple juice was better than the fruit punch cocktail, he deferred judgment).

Ryan Thomas-Palmer pours coffee for a guest.

8th grader Ryan Thomas-Palmer and 7th grader Heather Hale were ‘veteran’ servers, having volunteered with Anna’s Kindness at St. Andrew’s previously. Ryan handled serving coffee with ease; Ryan joined 8th grader Alexia Harris to pour out oatmeal and grits for the hungry guests.

Nicholas Colias put together trays of cookies, pastries, and treats, and was admittedly a little disappointed that his effort was a sellout.

“I was hoping there’d be some of the cookies & cream treats left over,” he smiled.

Eighth graders Lewis McCammon and Alex LeFort, former teammates on the Ann Arbor A’s travel baseball team, made for a great team in the kitchen as well, where they collected, washed, and dried the dishes, with an assist from 6th grader Evan Harris. Evan and Alex worked the water sprayer, while Lewis was lightning fast moving dishes through the automatic washer, and then over to the drying station.

Thanks to the students and their parents for getting up early on a Saturday to serve others, and thank you to Kate, and Leah and her family for helping direct our Anna’s Kindness volunteers.

“This is so cool,” said Alexis. “I am so glad I learned how to sign up to volunteer.”

#randomactsofanna

Alex LeFort and Evan Harris rinse off the dishes, while Lewis McCammon waits to load them into the automatic washer.

Nicholas Colias and Noah Silkworth cut up the pastries and desserts before breakfast.

Anna’s Kindness volunteers from Forsythe Middle School (front left) Heather Hale, Alexia Harris, Evan Harris, Ryan Thomas-Palmer, (back left) Lewis McCammon, Alex LeFort, Noah Silkworth, and Nicholas Colias.