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John C. Campbell Campus Update - Dining Hall Renovation



As a building every student, instructor and staff walks through daily, the Olive Dame Campbell Dining Hall nourishes everyone on campus. A well-loved spot on campus, the dining hall was beginning to show some wear in the building's maintenance and equipment. In early 2024, thanks to generous donations from friends, the entire dining hall floor was refinished, and a new walk-in freezer was installed.


 “As you can imagine, the dining hall floor gets lots of traffic”, shared Executive Chef Terra Ciotta. “Over time the floors had taken on an appearance that wasn’t up to our standards.” 


The restoration of the floors took five days, with maintenance moving all tables, chairs and equipment out of the space for crew members to step in, covering all display cabinets and ensuring all archival items stored in the building would be protected during the process. After days of sanding and applying protective coating, the dining hall floor was once again revitalized for community members to gather for meals and conversation. 


In the same week, the dining hall walk-in freezer was replaced, focusing on upgrades to the fan and compressor. Previously the freezer had been going out multiple times a year leading to spoiled food and lack of stable storage for dining hall staff. “We pride ourselves on the operation of our kitchen and having equipment that matches our standards, said Chef Terra. The new freezer allows us to continue to provide healthy meals, including the utilization of the freezer for garden produce in the upcoming spring, summer and fall seasons.” 


Support from our donors allows us to make building and equipment upgrades to Folk School spaces that comfort us daily. It’s true that together we make a great Folk School. You can play a crucial role in making these improvements a reality by donating today.



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