The Hitch: Thanksgiving for Students
@RayleneCamerano
Seven years ago, Karina Suchánek started an event to serve the underserved communities in Southern California, Eat and Be Well. She gathered friends and family to volunteer for their first Eat and Be Well event in Seville Park, Fontana and succeeded in serving 2,500 people. Suchánek is also the co-founder of Project Boon, along with her husband Chris Suchánek. Project Boon is a nonprofit organization that works to feed underserved populations and their families through multiple events a year.
"Why don't we do a homeless [underserved people] feeding in the Inland Empire?" Suchánek asked her husband while driving home from a volunteer service in Los Angeles. "I think we have the resources to start helping people in our area."
Suchánek and the organization now serve a total of nine events during the holiday season. They continue to add events every year helping schools and recovery centers. Just last year, when providing Thanksgiving meals for the students at Chaffey College's Fontana Campus, she met Lorena Corona, a mayoral candidate for Fontana in this year's mid-term elections. Through Lorena, Suchánek became aware that there are many students at all campuses of Chaffey that could benefit from a Thanksgiving meal.
On November 11th, 2018 The Hitch Burger Grill hosted the community of Rancho Cucamonga to prepare the feast. The volunteers prepared turkey, cranberry sauce, green beans and more for the students. On Tuesday, Nov. 11th, the meals were distributed at Chaffey's Rancho campus, then to the students of Fontana on Wednesday and Chino's campus on Thursday. Food was prepared for a total of 2,500 people, including other events being hosted by Suchánek.
Students gathered to enjoy their free Thanksgiving meal in the quad at 11:30 a.m. and sat with fellow students engaging in the unity of community at Chaffey.
