Giving back is the mealtime mission

Portia Johnson celebrated her new, healthier lifestyle at the Five Towns Community Chest dinner on July 14, selecting chicken, rice and salad for her meal —- a meal that was donated by the Merrick-based Brooks & Porter Steakhouse.

"My whole household is changing its eating habits," said Johnson as she pointed to her culinary choices. "I lost 30 pounds, my son lost 50 and my daughter lost 40." She added that walking for an hour or so every day in her native Inwood is also part of her healthier lifestyle.

Johnson was one of an estimated 150 people who gathered for a buffet-style dinner laid out on 15 serving trays on several tables in the gymnasium of the Five Towns Community Center in Lawrence. Brooks & Porter provided enough food to feed up to 200 guests.

"This is a great night," said Craig Spatz, president of Five Towns Community Chest, an 80-year-old fundraising organization now based in Woodmere. "Because of the difficult economy, to give back to the community is what Five Towns Community Chest stands for."

This was the first time the organization had hosted a dinner, and it was prompted not only by the group's mission. A couple of months ago, Frank Basile, who owns Brooks & Porter with his brother Roger, attended a dinner honoring a banker friend of his for her volunteerism, and the event resonated with him.

"I am fortunate enough that I have a job and make a living here ... and I am very glad to do whatever I can to help the community," said Basile, who did not attend the July 14 dinner, though the food he sent was a terrific stand-in. "My understanding was everyone had a great time, and I am more than happy to do it again."

Doing it again would not appear to be a hardship, as there were plenty of volunteers who helped set up for and serve the dinner, including Community Chest Executive Director Shea Z. Lerner, Chairman of the Board Eric Keslowitz, Program Director Carol Miller, bookkeeper Pattye Bohnet, Keslowitz's father, Frank, and several others. "There is no reason not to continue [doing the dinners], as we are a safety net for the community ...," Lerner said. He noted that the Five Towns Community Center and the Early Childhood Center are where Inwood residents find a safe, organized and structured environment for recreation and education.

With many heading to the serving tables for seconds and people still coming through the door after 6:30 p.m. — more than a half hour after the dinner began —the event was nothing short of a rousing success.

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