Sep 26, 2019
In this age of Facebook and meals eaten on the run, people are losing the ability to slow down and converse face to face. Many don’t have a chance to connect with and learn from those living in vastly different financial circumstances. Although not everyone knows it, Western Theological Seminary provides an opportunity for a cross-community meal every day of the week.
Nearly 28 years ago, WTS and Community Action House (CAH) came together to launch the Community Kitchen. WTS invites the community to use our facilities, and CAH provides staffing, food, and volunteers to provide meals seven days a week nearly every day of the year.
Lunch: Monday-Friday from 11-12:30
Breakfast: Saturday & Sunday from 9-10:30am
Cost: FREE
Sometimes people who know about the Community Kitchen wonder who it’s intended for. It’s for the neighbor down the street in between jobs. Or the mom living in a hotel with her kids who doesn’t have a stove but can tell her family, “We’re having pancakes for breakfast this weekend!” It’s for the college student with no time to eat if he doesn’t swing in. It’s for seminary staff and students who want to listen to the wisdom around the table as guests talk about their experiences.
The ALICE population in Ottawa County is growing (ALICE is a United Way term meaning Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed). With the affordable housing crisis in Holland, the rising cost of living, medical costs, transportation, groceries, and the challenge of finding daycare, a full time job (or two) may not be enough to cover basic needs.
The Community Kitchen is a constant support for anyone seeking a healthy meal and welcoming community. When people come with regularity, they have the joy of entering into each other’s lives and really getting to know each other. Guests share their past experiences, their challenges, and what brings hope. What a privilege to encourage and to be encouraged.
The CK team consists of Community Kitchen Coordinator Felicia Thompson who runs the kitchen, preparing around 150 meals a day, and Melissa Roessing who supervises Community Action House’s Food Security programs (which includes the food pantry and Community Kitchen). But volunteers are the heart of what makes the kitchen function. They’re preparing fresh salads, cutting up fruit, serving food, washing dishes, cleaning tables, and greeting those who enter by name. That is some of the beauty that happens on a daily basis.
People come regularly because this is more than a meal. It’s a chance to see friends, to meet new people, and to experience community.
If you already come to the Kitchen, we’ll see you soon! But if you haven’t yet, consider this your formal invitation: come and join us at the Community Kitchen to nourish your body and your soul. Also—we are always in need of more helping hands if you’re interested in volunteering to keep this community institution serving!
Want to know more or learn how to get involved? Contact Melissa Roessing. Learn more about Community Action House’s other work serving our most vulnerable neighbors here.
Articles