PORT TOWNSEND — A community brunch on New Year’s Day raised $2,547 to help rebuild a hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast town and fight hunger at home.
“Fifteen percent will go to our local food bank, with the remaining 85 percent to the sister city project,” said Judith Alexander.
Alexander is a volunteer with the Port Townsend-Bay Saint Louis Sister City project, which has sent a steady stream of volunteers and supplies to the Mississippi town destroyed by Hurricane Katrina last August.
To support the ongoing effort, residents of RoseWind held their annual brunch, featuring food considered lucky to eat on New Year’s Day — black-eyed peas and greens — with help from local businesses.
“The Food Co-op donated 25 pounds of black-eyed peas, and Frog Hill Farms gave oodles of fresh greens,” Alexander said.
Volunteers picked the greens — two types of kale, which took 10 people three hours to wash and chop, Alexander said.
The black-eyed peas were combined with rice for a traditional Southern dish called Hoppin’ John, which passed muster with discerning diners.
“It was excellent,” said Lee Clark, whose late wife was from North Carolina and cooked Hoppin’ John every year.
“The greens were good — just like ‘down home.”‘