For just over two years, St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church has been serving their Community Meal every Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. The Community Meal is an extension of the Community Resource Center at the church, which helps families in need find food and shelter. Several local stores donate the food, and a group called Thanksgiving Year Round raises money to put on the event.
Carrin Mahmood, director of women’s ministry and front line development, points out that the church is not “cracking [open] Ragu and spaghetti,” but rather is trying to serve meals that attendees would not typically make for themselves. That means chicken Florentine lasagna, salisbury steak and mashed-potato cakes, and coconut lime chicken over pasta, just to name a few dishes.
On average, 150 people attend the event weekly, with the number spiking to almost 225 in the winter months. Most of these attendees are not members of the church.
The free dinner is prepared by a rotating group of about 70 volunteers each Wednesday afternoon. “It takes a lot of people to make it happen,” says Mahmood, and St. Andrew’s is always looking for more volunteers.
