Making it fun

Carol Barry, director of the Westbay Community Action meal site at Shalom Apartments, likes to make eating a happy experience. While the meals at various sites are the same and provided by Encore Catering, Barry puts extra effort into making them events where people socialize and have fun. Attendance at the site has increased by more than 60 percent over the past year. On her own, Barry will host an afternoon tea tomorrow at Shalom. The menu includes such delicacies as cucumber with watercress sandwiches and lox and cream cheese on sourdough with scallions. She’s also planned, among other delights, apple tarts and mini cream puffs. Last year, she held a make your own pizza party. And she does movies with popcorn, too. “I like to make it special, distinct and fancy for them,” she said.