Ashley Lawson ’07 is the volunteer and development coordinator at Miriam’s Kitchen, which provides meals and services to the homeless in Washington, D.C. On March 5, Lawson and the rest of the staff had a visit from First Lady Michelle Obama.
Lawson says the First Lady’s visit was a well-kept secret from most of the staff and the people they serve.
“We told guests we were celebrating the end of February with a special meal from our chef, Steve Badt,” Lawson says. “We celebrate random things here, so it was plausible. The kitchen door opened and security guard Darrell Jones called the first 10 guests up to the serving line, just like any other day at Miriam’s Kitchen. Our guests were amazed to find Michelle Obama, with apron tied and gloves on, behind the serving line.“
For the next 30 minutes, the First Lady served up plates of mushroom risotto, steamed broccoli, fresh fruit salad, whole wheat rolls and apple-carrot muffins. The White House donated more than eight cases of fruit for the meal.
“That was enough for breakfast for nearly two weeks!” Lawson says.
Michelle Obama also spoke one-on-one with some of the homeless, listening to their stories and giving them warm hugs. She received a painting of President Obama holding a Miriam’s mug, which was painted by one of the guests and completed on Inauguration Day. The First Lady was visibly moved by the gift.
“She said she liked that we refer to our clients as ‘guests’ and said that we were neighbors because it took her motorcade two minutes to get to the kitchen,” Lawson says. “This visit meant so much to our guests, to our staff, to our volunteers and to our entire community.
“The First Lady’s focus is to highlight the importance of nutrition,” Lawson says. “Many of our guests are suffering with severe health problems, and our mission is to serve them great-tasting homemade meals as well as offer comprehensive social services.”
