The 23rd Annual Mildred Council Community Dinner was held Sunday, April 30, 2023 as part of a long tradition of community building, crossing economic, racial, religious and ethnic barriers in Chapel Hill and Orange County, North Carolina. Local volunteers worked hard to provide culturally diverse food and entertainment from the community. In 2014 The Community Dinner was a winner of a National League of Cities Award for Cultural Diversity. Eating together with people outside of the immediate family group further creates a bond with other, unrelated individuals. Alongside consuming food, social interaction takes place and brings out a closer atmosphere when a meal is shared.
The late Mildred Council, aka “Mama Dip,” was the creator of this event and the source of inspiration and partner for nearly two dozen Community Dinners, celebrating Orange County’s community and cultural diversity. ‘She is sorely missed by all who knew her, and continues her legacy through her children and grandchildren,” said Nerys Levy, co-organizer of the event.
Mildred Council’s family at Mama Dip’s Kitchen continues to coordinate the menu and, along with the Carolina Inn, provides the Dinner’s main courses. Long committed to the (greater) Chapel Hill community, the Council family has maintained their association with this event out of respect for their mother, Mama Dip’s legacy in North Carolina. In addition, many local restaurants and churches donate side dishes and desserts to complete the feast. Hundreds of attendees turned out on a rainy Sunday to show love and respect for the community partners.
The secret ingredient that makes the meal and the event truly delicious is the labor of love. Even though we often feel like strangers in our own community, when love is poured into the community dinner, we are neighbors and friends.
