Cardenas, Cedro, Kaniowski, Mojica, Shuptar

Matthew Cardenas, Nina Cedro, Michael Kaniowski, Michelle Mojica, Lena Shuptar
Professor Susak
ENG 3020: Writing and Community
19 December 2016
Project 4: Primary Research Report
INTRODUCTION
During our volunteering at the DRMM over the semester, all of us worked in the kitchen
at least once. Each of us noticed some discrepancies in the way the food was prepared which
caused us to raise question and concern. We were always advised to wear aprons and hairnets
when preparing food, but not all of us were advised to wear gloves during food prep. There was
food that seemed expired or in poor condition. The kitchen facility itself was not always cleanly
and workspaces were tight. Also, the kitchen environment was not maintained at a healthy
standard, standing in the danger zone temperature.
As a team, we have noticed several factors that ultimately affect the service provided to
the homeless population; however, the main issue we tackled is nutrition and food safety.
Through our experiences and research, the aspects we chose to cover most thoroughly are:
location of food, the preparation of food, and lastly, the health effects of the food. For the
purposes of project 4, being that it is intended to be information or material useful to the DRMM,
we have decided to focus specifically on the preparation of food. The purpose of our project is to
offer solutions and reminders for the DRMM, through the creation of an infographic, that could
possibly be posted somewhere in their kitchen facility.

Cardenas, Cedro, Kaniowski, Mojica, Shuptar

This report briefly explains the background of the current state of food preparation in
homeless shelters, methodology of our research for this project, the results of our research, and
discussion on how our infographic fulfills the purpose we created it for.
BACKGROUND
During our volunteering experiences at the DRMM, each of us noticed different issues
that posed as a potential health problem for the homeless people. Although the DRMM is just a
homeless shelter, the kitchens of these organizations should uphold safety food regulations
similar to restaurants. In any restaurant, standard food preparation and cooking technique
include: thoroughly washing your hands, never directly touching the food with your fingers, and
avoiding cross contamination. Not only that, homeless shelters must commit to following
standard health codes from the health department, especially inspecting the kitchen and food
preparation area for rodents, roaches, and molds. Furthermore, foods within the preparation area
must be held below the Danger Zone temperatures. The Danger Zone refers to the optimal
temperature range in which bacterial microbes thrive and grow, which is specifically between 40
and 340 degrees Fahrenheit.
Since the first volunteering visit at the DRMM kitchen, each of us noticed a bacterial
thermometer placed near the food preparation area. At first, we all thought the bacterial
thermometer was just for show or potentially broken, but after our second visit, we noticed the
thermometer actually worked. Regardless, the temperatures were way above the recommended
safe value(s), which is supposed to be under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In our first visit, the
temperature reading was about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and during our second visit, the
temperature elevated to approximately 75 degrees Fahrenheit. In our final two visits, however,
the temperature did decrease to about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. All that aside, the

Cardenas, Cedro, Kaniowski, Mojica, Shuptar

kitchen/preparation area did not meet the standard health codes and was a paradise for bacteria
growth.
In addition, during each of the four visits to the DRMM kitchen, we all spotted a
cockroach at one point within the time frame of preparing food. This further questions how often
the DRMM staff cleans their counter-tops and potentially their kitchen equipment/appliances.
Along with that, during our first visit, we saw a rodent trap box. While we were sweeping the
kitchen floor, one of the volunteers accidentally removed a small, white, rectangular box from
underneath the food preparation counter. When we asked if we should throw it away, Ms. Brown
immediately said to keep it under the counter because it was a trap for rats.
METHODOLOGY
Method

How this issue was researched:

The primary research methods we used to obtain information

included interviewing and observing while volunteering at the DRMM. The

information from interviews consisted of information we received from our
kitchen supervisor/head cook, Ms. Brown, and the other volunteers that came in
and out of the building. The other observations came from our field notes.
The secondary research we included are sources used to construct

our literature review, which was split amongst our work team. Seventeen total
sources were analyzed, but only a select few of those were relevant to this specific
project.
Resources

Resources used to complete research task:

Cardenas, Cedro, Kaniowski, Mojica, Shuptar

We utilized our given sources from the literature review task which

includes scholarly articles, videos, and press releases. Not only that, our field
notes aided us in the direction of our research and inspiration for the infographic.
In addition to these sources, our team leader borrowed a few of the texts Mr.
Susak provided to us as additional research and infographic composition advice.
Schedule

How the team decided on completing each task:

o

Our group, due to our busy schedules, constantly communicated through an

application called GroupMe. If work needed to be discussed face to face, we used
Google Hangout or found a way for certain group members to get together to
work on material together.

Our tentative timetable coincided with each upcoming class period.

Our group collaboratively discussed what needed to be completed and

who would complete those tasks before the next English class.

Qualifications

Qualifications to conduct research and recommendations/Audience expectation and

needs:

Although we are considered students, we approached these

situations to obtain information as researchers. The qualities we possess which
allow us to conduct this research simply goes back to the fact that we took the
initiative to obtain the information. The research we are required to do is less of
a chore at this point in the semester. After all our volunteer hours and
accumulation of sources, we turned these projects and short writing assignments

Cardenas, Cedro, Kaniowski, Mojica, Shuptar

into topics of genuine interested to us. Mr. Susak gave us the freedom to take
matters into our own hands, as teams, and allowed us to have free reign on this
research project.
The audience expectations we aimed to address include meeting

the requirements set by the DRMM. We also aimed to meet the expectations set
by our site supervisor and held ourselves accountable to committing to the
volunteer schedule we sent to our supervisors.
Team Management

Responsibilities delegated to each team member and our system of communication and
accountability:
o

The way our team delegated our tasks was by splitting up each assignment into
sections and then assigning each section to a person on our team. Michelle, our
team leader, (along with Lena) usually directed and dictated what direction things
would go in and gave the team a skeleton of what the end product of the project
should look like. From there, the larger chunks of the tasks were usually given to
Matt and Nina to work together and split up, while Michael was given multiple
smaller sections to work on individually due to his busy schedule.

Since we have all our information on Google Docs, we could moderate

who completed their designated tasks. If he/she had not done their specific
job, then we would contact them first through GroupMe, and through
direct message if needed.

Cardenas, Cedro, Kaniowski, Mojica, Shuptar

The majority of team communication was discussed during class.

Any leftover discussions were mentioned and continued in our
GroupMe.

When we contributed our information onto the Google Docs, we

normally left comments and suggestions for one another.

RESULTS
The sanitary supplies we were given would violate health regulations. During our third
visit, we were given the cleaning bucket and were told to wipe down the counters with their
clean rags. After washing down the counters from top to bottom, we realized the bucket of
water was contaminated with all the dirt and grime we removed. Once we finished, we gave the
bucket back to the workers and all they did was leave the bucket in the corner, making us
question if they ever replace the water between each cleaning session.
Not only was the cleanliness of the cleaning supplies an issue, but we also question the
cleanliness of the DRMM staff. We raise this as an issue since because we have witnessed
DRMM staff directly touching the food without wearing kitchen gloves. During the standby
period before serving the food to the homeless, we noticed one of the DRMM staff members
dipping his finger directly into the food tray. Therefore, it comes into question whether or not his
hands were washed before placing his finger within the food batch. Regardless, cooks should not
be placing their fingers into the food, he/she should be using a utensil to taste the food (and not
double dip).
The information inputted onto the infographic was found through secondary research.
Although the majority of our primary research showed the issues with the temperature of the
food preparation area, we felt reiterating the importance of staying within a safe temperature

Cardenas, Cedro, Kaniowski, Mojica, Shuptar

zone for preparing the food would be redundant. Our audience is the kitchen staff, as well as
other volunteers coming in and out of the DRMM, who already have a temperature gauge to
refer to in terms of the food preparation area.
In addition to not using a thermometer to check the safety of the food prep area, Ms.
Brown also failed to use a thermometer to check if the food was fully cooked. This is why we
decided to base our thermometer off of the Minimum Internal Temperature of food on our
infographic. Ms. Brown, along with the other kitchen staff members, happened to know if the
food was internally cooked correctly just by eyeballing the food. However, there were many
times when there were very large amounts of entrees and side dishes made in one container
where the potential of uneven cooking increased.
DISCUSSION
In our time working in the kitchen, we noticed there were no visual postings for kitchen
certification or proper food preparation. Typically, in food service facilities, there is a
certification verifying they are able to serve food in that area. There are also various infographics
on how to wash your hands, the proper temperatures to prepare and cook food to, advice on
avoiding cross contamination, proper temperatures to wash and sanitizes dish and utensils in, etc.
The DRMM does not have infographics like these posted in their facility, other than the small
thermometer indicating the proper temperature at which to prepare food at. This thermometer has
been significantly in the Danger Zone for food prep in the times we have volunteered as we
mentioned earlier.
Our infographic is concise and simple to serve as an introduction to visual information
and reminders of important health codes they should be following as volunteers and DRMM staff
work in the kitchen. This infographic will contribute to the nutritional education of those who

Cardenas, Cedro, Kaniowski, Mojica, Shuptar

work in the kitchen, but also to the clients of the DRMM as we intend to have the infographic
posted in the common area for the clients to see as well. This provides transparency between
those preparing the food and those consuming the food. The education of these codes in the
homeless community will help them become more self-sufficient as well.
As mentioned above, the infographic is simple and concise. There are three main parts to
it; background information, an internal temperature guide, and three basic tips to keep in mind
when handling food. The background information helps the viewer understand the purpose of the
Kitchen Cheat Sheet. It explains that in order to make good food for others, the kitchen itself
needs to be organized in a certain way and follow certain guidelines. Meaning that spaces should
be cleaned and cleared before, during, and after food preparation. The internal temperature guide
informs people on what temperatures are safe -- and unsafe -- to store food at. This is helpful
because it can be hard to tell whether food is fully cooked or not, especially to the untrained eye.
So, the bar graph makes it easy to take a thermometer to the food and be sure the food is cooked
full and safe for the person consuming the food. Finally, the three basic tips at the bottom are to
wash your hands, to not touch the food with your bare hands, and to never cross contaminate.
Those tips are basic health code rules that are easily forgotten.
The material we have included on our infographic are things we noticed were not always
happening in the kitchen at the DRMM and this will be a helpful reminder. The suggestions we
made and steps we included was also material we found in our research so we know these tips
are credible and helpful in these types of situations.