April 13, 2009 issue
Conrad Grebel: A rich harvest, on campus and beyond
By Jennifer Konkle Conrad Grebel University CollegePage:
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WATERLOO, Ont. — Every Monday night last year, Erik Streufert and Amanda Zehr roamed the halls of the Grebel Apartments sharing their homemade cookies.
Conrad Grebel University College students Erik Streufert of London, Ont., and Mimi Hollinger-Janzen of Goshen, Ind., display pumpkin treats they baked from the remains of a jack-o-lantern carving contest. — Photo provided by Conrad Grebel
“Students in residence love food outside of regular cafeteria hours,” said Streufert, of London, Ont.
The fourth-year urban planning student at the University of Waterloo lives in the Grebel Apartments again this year and decided to do something on a grander scale.
“I enjoy baking and serving others,” Streufert said as he described his successful Harvest Festival projects.
Spearheaded by Streufert but planned and executed by numerous volunteers, the Apple Harvest Festival sold tasty apple-related treats made from local produce and organic local flour.
The Pumpkin Harvest Festival featured baked goods made from pumpkins used in a jack-o-lantern carving contest.
A Christmas Cookie Harvest Festival and carol sing was soon followed by the Erik Harvest Festival of waffles and coffee cake, in honor of Streufert’s birthday.
In March, the Heifer Harvest Festival sold homemade bagels and doughnuts to purchase a water buffalo for a village overseas. Since all the supplies were purchased and donated by Streufert, all the money raised — nearly $1,000 — was given to charities.
Streufert and his apartment mates took care in the selection of charities, both local and global. Streufert researched the organizations to make sure they showed results.
“My Mennonite faith influenced this action — giving to others, like mutual aid, and being a servant,” he said. “These are the areas that I connect most with my faith. They are also interests which I would like to pursue in the future, possibly getting a diploma in peace and conflict studies at Grebel and working overseas with a development agency when I graduate.”
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