Ruba Haddad, chairwoman of the Houlton Rotary Worldwide Service Committee talks concerning the greater than 42 worldwide meals made by Houlton residents from different nations at subsequent week’s Worldwide Meals Competition. (Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli | Houlton Pioneer Occasions)
HOULTON, Maine — Meals is a common language that may carry individuals collectively to have fun completely different cultures, stated Ruba Haddad, the chairwoman of the Houlton Rotary Worldwide Service Committee.
To get a taste of the meals from Houlton residents who’ve come to Houlton from different international locations, the group is invited to pattern 42 meals ready by space residents from 21 completely different nations on the Worldwide Meals Competition from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 6, at Houlton Center Excessive Faculty on Byrd Avenue.
“It is a journey for us and we’re discovering loads,” Haddad stated. “Let’s be sincere, we’re all from elsewhere, and we’re additionally celebrating with individuals who have all the time lived right here and discovering their roots.”
Haddad is from Amman, Jordan, the place she met her husband, a Houlton native, whereas they have been instructing at a boarding college, she stated. Their oldest daughter was born there and so they moved again to Houlton eight years in the past.
“To have my children placed on their conventional garments from Jordan and to have them come right here and discuss meals — it means a lot to me,” she stated about sharing their tradition on the pageant.
Like Haddad, there are households residing in Houlton from different nations together with Jamaica, Romania, South Korea, Uganda, Ghana, Canada and Germany, she famous.
The Rotary Worldwide Service Committee has donated cash to worldwide initiatives like Bathrooms for College students in El Salvador and so they despatched cash to assist with an earthquake in Haiti. However in addition they needed to discover a approach to contribute to the area people with a global celebration.
That’s after they considered a global dessert public sale representing 9 nations three years in the past. The occasion grew to 14 nations final 12 months and now could be as much as 21.
“We hold discovering individuals and persons are reaching out to us when there’s a new household,” Haddad stated. “They contact us and I am going meet them. We’re bringing individuals collectively and celebrating completely different cultures in a secure atmosphere so it’s been a tremendous journey and we hold including issues.”
Moreover, the pageant has grown past only a culinary expertise; it now contains dwell performances, youngsters’s actions, a present store, and a dwell public sale with this 12 months’s give attention to youngsters and learn how to make them inquisitive about issues which might be completely different.
Haddad is instructing a easy Jordanian dance and studying a narrative written by the Queen of Jordan.
“It’s a narrative a couple of woman from America and a lady from Jordan and they’re buddies and so they do every part collectively besides in the case of meals,” she stated. “We’re making ready the kids to attempt one thing new. And It’s OK in the event you don’t prefer it, it’s OK however give it a attempt. It was ready with love so give it a attempt.”
A lady initially from Romania, who’s opening a European pastry store in Houlton, can be making 4 completely different dishes and a person from Jamaica is making his signature curry rooster.
This 12 months the committee requested native companies to sponsor a nation for $100. They’ve already raised $2,100.All proceeds from sponsorships and public sale gross sales will help the committee’s worldwide service initiatives. For extra data, contact Johanna Johnston at 207-521-0157 or [email protected].