Long Beach Job Corps Culinary students spent Thursday, November 18th  preparing a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner for the neighborhood.  The West Long Beach Association, one of the oldest neighborhood associations in the city of Long Beach, held their annual Thanksgiving Banquet at the Silverado Community Center, located less than a mile up the street from the center. The association provided the basic ingredients and the culinary students created a great meal, which included spices freshly picked from the garden.

The dinner, which was open to neighborhood residents,was prepared from scratch by the culinary students, under the supervision of Culinary Arts Instructor Chef Marko Penich.  The neighbors brought their own special potluck side dishes, too and together with the students enjoyed a wonderful feast.

The students proudly served area residents, including the 7th District City Council member James Johnson,  and the Long Beach Polytechnic High School  Jazz Band provided the music.  The students then had the opportunity to introduce themselves and talked about what item they each prepared. The evening ended with well-deserved applause for all of the students, who used their creativity, skills, and talents in giving back to the community.