The community of Belvedere Senior Housing enjoyed a night of great food and good vibes on Thursday, February 27, as it celebrated Black History Month with its second annual Soul Food Dinner.
Residents and visitors piled plates high with soul food, chatted, and took in live music by the Fabulous Kings Blues Band. In a calendar absolutely packed with events, the Soul Food Dinner is one of the newer traditions, but is already one of the most popular among Belvedere residents.
“We’re super excited. This is something our residents invite their families to, so there’s a lot of anticipation leading up to it,” Andrea Puente, Director of Marketing and Sales for Belvedere, said. “We want our residents to continue feeling empowered to have relationships with their friends and family, this is an opportunity for them to invite those people into their homes.”
Belvedere Executive Director Stephanie Westphal explained that the resident community is incredibly diverse. Events like the Soul Food Dinner play a big part in celebrating that, and ensuring that everyone feels welcome.
“We want to make sure that we’re all-inclusive, we want to celebrate different cultures and have fun with it,” Westphal said. “We want our residents to know that we see them, we hear them, and respect their backgrounds and everything they bring with them. Last year was the first time we’d done an event in honor of Black History Month, and it was so well-received. Honestly, it’s all we’ve been talking about since last year.”
The night’s menu, crafted largely by Move-In Coordinator Cassandra Ford and Business Office Manager Jeannette Grier, featured a huge variety of comfort foods. Wings, mac & cheese, rib tips, mostaccioli, potato salad, collard greens, and more – as well as treats such as banana pudding, German chocolate cake, and peach cobbler by Get Scratched Desserts.
“We wanted to show the meaning of soul food – its comfort food,” Ford said. “It’s very exciting, our residents love this type of event. We enjoyed doing it, and that’s why we decided to do it again this year.”
The Soul Food Dinner, like most of Belvedere’s big celebrations, was open to the public. Westphal noted that her team believes it is important to stay visible and active in the broader Region community.
“It’s about breaking a barrier. A lot of people don’t understand who we are and what we do here,” she said. “We provide an environment for people to live as independently as possible and get some assistance when they need it. These are our residents’ homes, and it’s important that people understand that our residents are part of the community, but a lot of times they can’t get out there on their own. That’s why we try to bring the community to them.”
Celebrating Black History Month and the culinary culture of so many residents offered visitors a peek at life in Belvedere. More events are just around the corner, including the community’s First Responder Breakfast on March 17. That event invites first responders from around the Region to join the residents for a free plate of green eggs and ham to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
To learn more about Belvedere Senior Housing, including how to schedule a tour, visit gardant.com/belvedereseniorhousing.