SE students started the wintry morning’s work bundled in sweaters, but as the sun rose above the city skyline, the first hour of raking, uprooting and mulching had students removing layers.
“Whew, it’s getting hot,” said SE student Kornelious Washington as he dug up tree roots. “I didn’t know I was going to be working out.”
Washington gathered with other students and faculty from his campus to landscape for a new restaurant opening in Arlington whose menu offers more than just food to its city.
Taste Project is a nonprofit whose dining experience prepares a rotation of meals made with healthy, seasonal ingredients collected from the community. What makes their restaurant’s experience unique is their menus don’t have prices.
“We simply ask to pay what you can afford, pay what you typically pay or pay a little extra to help a neighbor in need,” said Julie Williams, board member and wife to the project’s founder. Williams directed students around the exterior of the building, designating groups of four to do different landscaping tasks together.
The students shoveled rocks into wheelbarrels and uprooted trees, clearing outdoor plots for the others to come and fill with mulch.
Tatiana Humphries smiled as she wiped sweat from her brow after tossing aside a bundle of branches. As a hospitality student, she said she hopes to one day manage her own nonprofit similar to the Taste Project. At 17, Humphries was homeless.
While her experience was difficult, she said she credits her ability to overcome adversity to establishments like this and the kindness of others. It’s what inspired her to join SE Campus in volunteering for the day.
“It’s important to tithe with our time,” Humphries said. “I just try to stop and make people smile.”
Located in the heart of Arlington, the building is near other nonprofits working to help those financially struggling in the area.
According to Taste Project’s website, a little over 18% of Tarrant County’s population is food insecure, 3% higher than the national average and their project aims to lower that number.
As a previous Arlington resident, student Rosemary Adio said she volunteered without hesitation because she knew this establishment would enrich everyone in the community.
“This Saturday morning, a lot of us would have something else to do, but we decided to give,” Adio said. “Seeing something like this being planted, it shows that there’s still love, regardless of what is happening in the country.”
For SE nurse Karren Warren, food communicates love and connection, and the relationships she’s made through sharing meals have lasted her a lifetime.
As Warren walked through the facility she was reminded of Evan, a student she says came into TCC’s health clinic years ago asking if his potassium level was low. Warren asked him routine health questions, taking note of how the student’s hands shook vigorously.
“Turned out this was finals week, his financial aid was gone. His money was out. He was trying to get through the week on a dozen eggs,” Warren said. “There’s seven days in a week, and he didn’t know what he was going to do on the seventh day.”
Warren shared her lunch with Evan that day, and said she still carries its important lessons with her.
“I’m surprised I’m getting emotional, but I don’t think people realize that the guy sitting right next to you might really, really be struggling,” Warren said.
She said she was amazed by the charm of the facility. The inside is designed to feel like a normal sit-down restaurant to share meals with family and friends.
“You can come in here and you can anonymously look to better things, either as somebody who’s providing or somebody who’s receiving,” Warren said. “I’m so proud of everybody out there. It’s cold and they’re hot, and they’re shaky, and they’re working hard, and it’s beautiful. The facility is beautiful. The notion is as well.”
Asia Barfield was tugging on a massive tree root with her friend Marissa Sanchez, both laughing as they used all their strength to pull.
“It’s giving me an odd sense of purpose,” Barfield said.
They worked together, hitting the deeply imbedded roots with a shovel.
“I feel empowered because these are really heavy and hard to get out,” Sanchez said.
Both felt their work was important, not only for Arlington but for SE students as well. They said opportunities such as volunteering gives students the ability to attend an off-campus event and create friendships with people they didn’t know before.
Nguyen Ton, an international student from Vietnam, said she attended the event for a new experience to help her integrate better into American life and make friends.
“This is my first event since I entered college,” Ton said. “Everything is new and strange for me. So, I love to join different activities every day, and to have more new experiences.”
It was a new experience for some volunteers, but student activities coordinator Amy Staley said she dined with Taste Project before.
“I was really intrigued about their mission and what they do,” Staley said. “When I was driving by and found out that they were open to a location here in Arlington, I thought, ‘We’ve got to get out there and see how we can participate.’”
Staley reached out to the Taste Project, and Williams set up the event for SE and UTA. Staley said she hopes TCC can continue volunteering for the Taste Project, allowing students and faculty to extend their hands and help the community more often.
“They have a seat at the table for everyone,” Staley said, “to help bridge the gap between those who maybe have a little bit more and those who maybe don’t have enough and inspire them.”
