By Olivia Ryan, Janie Hodney, Matt Seger & Byron Garcia-Ortiz
Missing that home-cooked meal? Home-cooked food is right outside the dorm. The Mauthe Center has been offering cheap meals every Tuesday since 1968.
Started by a Catholic priest, the Mauthe Center offered “simple suppers” to hundreds of UWGB students. The reasoning behind “simple suppers” was to raise money for various causes. The causes could be anything from groups, drinking wells, schools in 3rd world countries, or the campus cupboard, a local campus pantry.
The $2 Tuesdays that we know today give students an opportunity to have a homecooked meal for a low price. The Mauthe Center can take cash or pass points. Ben Menghini stated that they strive for “hygge,” pronounced hyoo-gah. “Hygge just means extra cozy. We want to give you warm, homey food throughout the winter,” Ben explained.
Abby Ledvina and Ben found that before COVID-19 hit, they were getting an average of 20 people attending the dinners. Now they are getting as low as 5 to 10 people. Some dinners are only around 2 attendees.
Volunteers and frequent customers Carli Shamion (left) and Trinity Mallek (right)
The Mauthe Center utilizes student organizations such as Zeta Omega Tau, local churches, and donations to help provide home-cooked meals as well as set up dinners, serve the meals, and clean up after. “We love helping the Mauthe Center. They are so welcoming and nice. It isn’t easy to get a home-cooked meal in college for cheap, and this is right on campus,” Trinity explained. The Mauthe is incredibly grateful for the students and volunteers that do go currently, often leaving them with leftover food from the event.
The dinners at Mauthe center are cheap in price, delicious, and comforting. Last Tuesday, the center served pulled pork with macaroni and cheese and a side of green beans. Other meals that have been featured in previous weeks include spaghetti, tacos, roast, pasta, and an alternative of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches if the dish is not to one’s liking.
Besides more students attending the dinners, Abby and Ben have a few other ideas that they would like to start. The Mauthe would like to start hosting dinners for just groups. They mentioned hosting dinners for Zeta Omega Tau, Ambassadors, classes, or others. This idea may not be started for a little while yet, so they need our help to bring in students. They rely heavily on word of mouth from students across the campus. They make signs for the TVs in the Union and whiteboard writings. Any UWGB students publicize the $2 dinners every Tuesday to classmates and roommates to spread the word of these cheap dinners for a great cause.
“Doors are open, and the space is for you,” Ben stated. “We are not here to force religion, just a place to open a conversation and to relax.” Please visit https://www.mcenter.org/reaccuring-events and take this brief survey https://tinyurl.com/398w5cd2 to help the Mauthe center.