By Emmanuel T. Erediano
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Variety News Staff
WITH local dishes and cultural performances by local talents, residents in As Lito last week hosted an appreciation or “Thank You” dinner for the volunteers of World Central Kitchen, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that provided food relief to people in the CNMI in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Sinlaku.
Neighbors brought their own dishes, including a large lechon, to the home of Cecilia Taitano Fitial, which served as one of the distribution points for WCK meals in the southern part of Saipan, for the appreciation dinner prior to the departure of the WCK volunteers.
Two groups of cultural dancers and a local band led by local music talent Sebastian Tajibmai provided entertainment during the dinner.
“This is our spirit. Maybe Super Typhoon Sinlaku came and took our roofs and all our stuff, but our spirit is still intact. This is our way of showing our appreciation,” said Fitial, who also prepared local dishes for the volunteers.
She emphasized how important the evening was, saying that WCK volunteers “chose to come here to our CNMI to step up and feed our people. So as a way of saying ‘thank you from the bottom of our hearts,’ ” she and other community members, including former first lady Dianne Torres, Sen. Celina R. Babauta, and local business Herman’s Bakery, contributed food for the event.
“We will rebuild. And I am not going to lose the opportunity to thank these people for coming here,” Fitial said.
Carmen Sablan, who helped WCK find a point of contact for meal distribution in the southern part of Saipan, said she was happy to meet WCK volunteers and help establish the distribution site. Sablan also brought one of the local cultural performers to the event.
WCK Community Outreach Manager Chikla Kondo was initially speechless when asked to comment on the event. After a pause, she said, “I am very speechless with the amount of gratitude and appreciation and love and the opportunity for everyone to share their culture with us.” She said the evening was very special and that she appreciated the warm welcome she and her fellow WCK volunteers received.
Kondo said they were grateful to come together to help lift the spirits of people in the CNMI.
“We thank all the local community members who opened their homes and their space to allow us to feed in every village,” she said.
Federal Emergency Management Agency contractor Larry Akana, who happened to be conducting an inspection in the area, said the community coming together “is truly a blessing.”
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
