What a cool event! I wanna go back next year.
The Joshua Project Foundation was started by a 7-year-old and his family. The mission is to get more Braille labels in grocery stories so blind and visually impaired people can continue to live with more independence.
At this Dining in the Dark event, guests are blindfolded before they go into the dining room. The goal is that guest basically experience what it’s like to have dinner as a blind person. Everyone really seemed to love it – and to be amazed at how hard it was to do simple things, such as drink from your glass or butter your bread, when you couldn’t see.
I got to be a table host, which meant I was responsible for everyone at the red table. I gave them blindfolds before going in, led them to their seats and made sure they sat down safely, and then I hung out in case I needed to lead anyone to the bathroom.
Most tables were full, but mind happened to have 6 people(!) not show up. (Each table was supposed to have 12 people.) So, I had an entire side of the table all to myself. I sat across from the 6 people at my table and talked to them. The wait staff even brought me all the same courses as the guests!
I was all, “Oh, you don’t have to do that. I’m just a volunteer.” But they were so cool and nice, and they’re like, “We have the food already. You might as well eat it.”
I probably didn’t need to stuff my face with a number of courses, but I did! And it was delicious.
(I didn’t get the main course though, as it was steak and seafood – and I’m still on my vegetarian/vegan challenge. They did have vegetarian options. But, since I wasn’t even supposed to be getting food in the first place, I was so not about to be like, “uh, yeah, and may I please have the vegetarian option?”)
Basically, it was an amazing and easy night, full of scrumptious food. And I’ll finish this story out next time.