Beans clogged the drain and the sharp crack of a plastic bowl shattering echoed through the air. A pan of macaroni and cheese teetered on top of a wobbling stack of dishes. In short, the scene was about what would be expected as group of teenagers attempted to tackle the world of gourmet cuisine.

Taking on adventurous projects is nothing new for the Redmond Youth Partnership Advisory Committee (RYPAC). The group of about 40 members, ranging in age 11-18, leads service projects in the Redmond community. Their most recent endeavor was a benefit concert and dinner for Redmond-based Hopelink, a community-action agency that serves homeless and low-income families, children, seniors and people with disabilities.

On Friday, Jan. 29, RYPAC members served a a dinner inspired by Food Network star Guy Fieri and hosted an open-mic night at the Old Firehouse Teen Center (OFH) to raise money and awareness for the Hopelink location in Redmond.

Concert attendees were encouraged to bring canned and non-perishable food items before loading up their plates with an abundance of strange but enticing foods.

“Craisy Oatmeal Cookies” made by RYPAC members were an instant favorite, as was the candied bacon donated by Dirty Oscar’s Annex, a restaurant Guy Fieri visited in Tacoma.

Performances were just as wide-ranging as the food — from rap to string quartets. Nobody left the concert bored or hungry.

This event, like all RYPAC fundraisers, was planned and hosted by local youth. The decision to benefit Hopelink came from RYPAC’s youth chair Maddy Bennett, a senior at Redmond High School.

“The people they serve are in our neighborhoods,” she said about why she chose to benefit the agency. “Hopelink helps community members right here in Redmond.”

Bennett completed an internship in the summer of 2015 at Hopelink and continues to volunteer regularly. She recounted stories of seeing people she serves at the food bank around her high school and the streets of Redmond. Over time, she learned that although some people may get their food from food banks, they are not all that different from herself.

She emphasized the importance of remembering that, “we could be in their shoes at any time.”

A year-and-a-half veteran of RYPAC, Bennett has helped organize many other events.

“I always knew I wanted to volunteer before RYPAC, I just never knew how,” she said.

Bennett joined RYPAC because the group made volunteering accessible and fun.

“It’s a great community, the people are fun, accepting, and smart,” she said. “RYPAC has been a fantastic improvement to my life.”

Despite a few burned pots and clogged drains, the night was a success for RYPAC members. They collected more than 50 cans of food for Hopelink and spread awareness about hunger in the Redmond community.

And, as for the food, let’s just say Fieri would have been proud.

Claire Perry is a Redmond High School senior and editor-in-chief of The Blaze, the school newspaper.