Nancy Lombard prepares food at the Community Kitchen at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Snohomish. Volunteers from churches and the Kiwanis prepare meals for those in need on Mondays and Thursdays.
Photo by Nathan Whalen
SNOHOMISH — The afternoon of Sept. 23 saw a group of volunteers from Snohomish United Methodist Church make a chicken casserole that was one of the entrees that will feed dozens of needy people.
They were cooking at St. John’s Episcopal Church and participating in the Community Kitchen, where volunteers from churches and community groups from around the Snohomish area prepare meals for anyone in need.
“It’s a community. They all know each other and are looking after each other,” said Pat Fisher, vice president of the Community Kitchen board, said about the clients who seek a meal at the Community Kitchen. Fisher is a member at Snohomish United Methodist Church.
He said the people are often homeless or retired on a limited income. “We’ve had people who are really, really thankful.”
George Sousa, who attends St. John’s Episcopal and is a member of the Community Kitchen board, said the seniors who show up for a meal are trying to get out and socialize.
On Monday, volunteers will feed around 100 people either with people showing up for a meal or through to-go meals, Fisher said.
Ten churches and one community organization, the Kiwanis of Snohomish, participate in the Community Kitchen. Participating churches are Christ the King Lutheran, Crossview Church, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Good Shepherd Lutheran, Hope Four Square, Snohomish First Presbyterian, Snohomish United Methodist, St. John’s Episcopal, St. Michael Catholic Church, and Lion Lutheran, according to the St. John’s Episcopal website.
The Community Kitchen was started in 1993 by St. John’s member Bill Berge, which brought together several churches to serve a weekly meal, according to a history provided by Candace McKenna, senior warden at St. John’s Episcopal. The program proved successful and volunteers eventually added a second night, Mondays, for meals.
“The Community Kitchen is the signature outreach effort for St. John’s. It’s very important and part of our identity,” McKenna said.
Fisher also pointed out the convenient access St. John’s location offers. “This is so centrally located. There’s a bus stop right outside.”
Volunteers were also able to continue efforts feeding food to people during the COVID-19 lockdown, Sousa said.
The Community Kitchen also raised $30,000 worth of upgrades during the pandemic that funded the acquisition of a stove, oven, dishwasher and other equipment.
The Community Kitchen gets food from food bank, such as the Volunteers of America, as well as monetary donations.
The annual Snohomish CROP Hunger Walk takes place Sunday, Oct. 13 at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Registration starts at 12:30 p.m. with the walk beginning at 1 p.m. The goal of the event is to raise $20,000 for the Community Kitchen, according to the Snohomish Hunger Walk website.
The Crop Walk falls under the umbrella of Church World Service where 75 percent of the money raised goes to programs operated by the faith-based organizations and the remaining 25 percent goes to the Community Kitchen, said Yvette War Bonnet, who is helping coordinate the CROP Hunger Walk. She is also a member of the Community Kitchen board and volunteers with Snohomish United Methodist Church.
Church World Service and the CROP Hunger works to provide “sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster, according to the Crop Hunger Walk website.
“It’s trying to give people a leg up on going forward,” War Bonnet said.
She said the fundraiser helps pay for operation costs and materials such as carry-out containers, which serves the number of people seeking a to-go meal.
“We don’t have any other fundraising events that we do,” War Bonnet said.
For more information about the walk, go to events.crophungerwalk.org/cropwalks/event/snohomishwa.
