17th Annual Peruvian Benefit Supper
The Peruvian Benefit Supper is an annual event which supports the poor in Chimbote and Lima, Peru, as well as the Sisters of the Company of the Heart of Jesus, a group of nuns who serve the poor in those communities. The benefit was started by a Peruvian woman and her American husband. This was the seventeenth annual benefit that they had put on, it began as a small dinner hosted at their home for friends and family, but has since expanded to a large event. Although the event was too large to be held in a home, it was still obviously a family event, as the pair’s children and extended family helped by serving food and manning the various booths around the church.
When I first arrived at the church, I got my food tickets, and walked around the different tables. At one table, there were Peruvian scarves, jewelry, tapestries, and other cutural items for sale. A silent auction lined one wall of the church including items ranging from another Peruvian meal cooked in your home to a fish tank. A cash bar stood in one corner, and colorfully decorated tables filled in the rest of the room.
Throught the dinner a playlist called “Peru Criollo” played on Spotify, a projector displaying the songs as they were played. From what I understood, all the songs were in Spanish, although I’m no Spanish speaker. Many people who were attending the event also spoke in Spanish, a couple even responded to me in Spanish when they knew I would understand- with a si or a bueno.
After a social hour of people perusing the silent auction and other items available for purchase, the dinner itself began. The food was served in a a buffet-line style, and the menu consisted of “Beef, Rice, Beans, Salad, and Delicious Dessert”.
As a vegetarian, I did not eat the beef, but I was amazed at how good something as simple as rice and beans could be. Personally, I have no cooking experience, so I couldn’t identify what spices or seasonings were used. Although the type of dessert was not identified, it was in fact, delicious. Reflecting on the simplicity of the meal, and on how much I enjoyed it, I realized that I do not know of a single restaurant in the Twin Cities area where you could find Peruvian food.
As people finished up their meal, one of the couple’s sons stood up in front of the attendees to talk about the event and the importance of the fundraiser to the Peruvian communities it helps support. I was astounded by the impact that this single family was making in the lives of so many people they would likely never meet. They then showed a short video made by the Sisters of the Company of the Heart of Jesus.
The final event of the night was a traditional Peruvian Dance performed by the Mi Peru Minnesota. The colorful skirts and flowing movements of the dancers was quite beautiful. I was struck by the fact that there was a Peruvian dance company here in Minnesota, as I do not think of Minnesota as having a very large Peruvian population.
The night first and foremost made me realize that there is an active Peruvian community here in Minnesota. It was also amazing for me to see that a small family-run fundraiser could have such a large impact on a community so far away. Overall, it was a very thought-provoking night, and one that will lead me to seek out other local fundraisers such as this, and seek out more Peruvian food.
