By Valarie Schwartz
Columnist
Several times over the years, Mildred Council, aka “Mama Dip,†has been the subject of a story I’ve written, but last week was the first time in over a dozen years that she could actually sit down and talk to me about it. Now that she’s turned 80 (her birthday was April 11), she takes more time to sit in her restaurant, where people wanting to update her on their lives sometimes engulf her.
The knowledge she gains helps her better understand the realities of people’s lives in our community; and the reality is that many children living near Mama Dip’s Kitchen are truly being left behind. The proof she finds lies in more than the school dropout rates; she also wonders where all the musicians have gone — the days of churning out such musicians as Billy Hargraves, Doug Clark and Kenny Mann are distant memories for her neighborhood. The talent still exists, she says, but few families have the money for lessons or the time and energy required for directing youngsters toward careers.
Away from the heat of the kitchen, Council continues the lifelong contributions she’s made to her community; so when her children started talking about how to celebrate her birthday, she knew what she wanted.
“She said she didn’t want a party,†said her daughter Anita “Spring†Council. “She said she wanted an event to raise money for the children.â€
Having raised nine children who have provided her 19 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren during the nearly 30 years she has owned her restaurant, where many of them have found employment at one time or another, Mama’s wish became their desire. On Sunday (Sept. 20) from 5 to 7 p.m., a fundraiser benefiting the Mama Dip Share the Love Fund at Triangle Community Foundation will be held at The Barn at Fearrington Village. The funds that are raised will go to established nonprofit programs in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties that provide services like tutoring, music lessons and camp tuition to children who need community outreach in order to find their way.
Council became a community organizer long before such a term existed, serving on numerous boards, teaching cooking classes at Chapel Hill High School and providing jobs for untold numbers of youth needing more than a paycheck. Working at Dips, they’ve learned skills and gained a grasp of their own capabilities.
“The mind is being paralyzed,†Mildred Council said. “I see it when they come in here and ask for an application.†She said that some don’t even want to fill it out because their reading and writing skills are so lacking. “I have the patience. I want to teach them. I get them in here and they serve some and expedite some and then they cut the cake,†taking baby steps to greater responsibility.
She’d like to teach some parents a few things as well — like that the backseat of a car is not meant as a family table. In addition to providing healthier food than most take-out, “there needs to be conversation at a meal and having fun,†Mildred Council said.
That will be part of the occasion on Sunday. So share a meal, hear live music and enjoy special guests celebrating Mama Dip’s heritage. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased at Mama Dip’s Kitchen or trianglecf.org/sharetheloveÂ
Contact Valarie Schwartz at 923-3746 or valariekays at mac.com