Dragon Dining: Supporting the New Normal

by Miki Mukawa, High School Student Council President
 

Ever since the temporary campus closure in March, our lives have never been the same. From online classes to our now Blended Learning schedule, the community has adjusted to the several versions of “new normals” thrown our way by the COVID-19 pandemic.

And Dragon Dining has adapted to the new normal to accommodate our community as well. During the online learning period before the summer break, the Dragon Dining Chiku Center Pay-It-Forward Program was launched in an effort to continue supporting Dragon Dining as an independent food business, whilst also supporting the Chiku Center – a local organization that aims to support those living with food and housing insecurity in the Yokohama area. With the combined efforts of the students, parents, and faculty, the program allowed us to deliver over 2020 meals to the center. 

Thank you so much for all of your support for the program - from those that ordered and spread the word, to those who volunteered to pack and deliver lunches. Despite the difficult circumstances, our community truly banded together in an effort to support each other.

Much like the rest of the community, Dragon Dining has also adjusted to the new health and safety guidelines by providing Grab & Go lunches and by implementing new measures in the cafeteria. Though our new Blended Learning schedule has allowed for the cafeteria to provide in-person meals for us again, they still only receive a fraction of the business they used to due to the staggered schedule. To continue supporting both Dragon Dining and the Chiku Center, the Pay-It-Forward Program will continue to accept meal donations and will deliver the meals when it is safe to do so – so, please consider donating a meal to support! On Friday, September 11, students and staff assembled 400 lunches each with two onigiri (rice balls), a banana, instant miso soup and a sembe (rice cracker) for the center (pictures below). Alternatively, you can also support the cafeteria by ordering their Grab & Go Meals and homemade snacks.

Providing us with our favorite Roast Thursday lunches and greeting us with warm smiles every day, our cafeteria and its staff are a truly integral part of our community here at YIS. As we face this whirlwind of a year, it is vital that we stand together (but far enough to social distance!) as a community – to support, care for, and uplift each other.

You can order a Pay-It-Forward donation meal or order a Grab & Go meal from Dragon Dining via your Lunchbox account. See the Dragon Dining website for more details.