Grilled Cheese for All!

The main goal that I had for the event “Grilled Cheesy with the Dee Zees” is to make sure the event was accessible and catered to anyone who was interested in attending. My first goals were to make sure the event could be attended by those with physical disabilities, those with dietary restrictions, and food could be served to those who had obligations during the time period of the event. In order to make sure the event was accessible to those with physical disabilities, I made sure there was handicap parking and handicap accessible entrances as the main entrance to the sorority house. I also cleared out furniture that was in the rooms that was blocking main entrances and exits. For dietary restrictions, I was very conscious of having options available for anyone who has a dietary restrictions that would typically be prevented from eating grilled cheese. In our chapter, we have a members with gluten restrictions and multiple members with dairy restrictions. So, not only were these decisions made in regard to our members but also the the attendees that needed these alternatives as well. My first step was to make sure there were handwashing procedures for the kitchen and plenty of gloves. Then, I made the kitchen workers aware of how to make food for those with allergies and dietary restrictions. I have experiences as a food service manager so this was in my element in order to cater to these attendees. Finally, I wanted there to be delivery options for anyone who could not attend. i reached out to fire departments, police departments, hospital workers, and local teachers considering there were parent teacher conferences at the Macomb schools during the event times. This was another fundraising tactic that made the event accessible to those who could not attend and it also was a way to make everyone feel included. Overall, if an event is accessible to everyone it will perform better. If more people feel as though they have been thought of to make the event accessible to them, the more likely they are to attend!