Christ’s Kitchen in Prattville Feeds Bodies, Souls of Those in Need in River Region
By Gerri Miller
Staff Writer
Two hundred and sixteen people enjoyed chicken with white pepper gravy, rice, fruit, rolls and brownies on Saturday Dec 14th, but it wasn’t from one of the River Region’s many wonderful restaurants.
Volunteers for Christ’s Kitchen, a ministry of Christ Lutheran Church, cooked and delivered the meals to people in the area who were hungry and in need of a great meal. They also brought snack bags to the recipients with a wonderful selection of munchies for later.
Mary Ray, who has led and volunteered with the ministry since its inception nearly seven years ago, said six volunteers plan, shop, cook, pack the food and then deliver it every second and fourth Saturday of the month.
“Our very first meal, we cooked for 25 people,” Ray said. She said she often remembers a delivery to an elderly man who had a can of kidney beans in his hands when they arrived with a plate of food for him. “We told him we would trade him the can of beans for the plate of food and when he looked in the box and saw spaghetti, salad, bread and banana pudding, he cried,” she said.
Paul Hochberg has been delivering food through the program since he joined the church three years ago. He said he didn’t realize how many people are hungry in the Autauga County area before he volunteered. “There are so many people here who are in need of food,” he said. “This program just really gets you connected with people.”
Andy Knight is another volunteer who said the program is a blessing to him as well as to the recipients. “Some of these folks don’t see anyone, they don’t get any visitors and we are the only people they see. The happy looks on their faces when the food is delivered is a blessing,” he said.
Ray said some programs require a lot of personal information from clients, creating a stigma that might make some people hesitant to participate. “We have clients who live in all types of homes who need help as well as older people with limited incomes,” she said. “Even though it is only two meals per month, people rely on it.”
Various groups such as the Girl Scouts have held food drives and other fund raisers for Christ’s Kitchen and Ray said every penny raised goes directly into the program.
Ray said the ministry is experiencing growing pains, but a grant has been approved to purchase new kitchen equipment. In January, they will get a convection oven and a commercial grade refrigerator.
Volunteers are needed to help prepare, package, and/or deliver meals to the homes and donations of items such as containers and bags are needed. To donate, call Christ Lutheran Church at (334) 285-7461. To volunteer, call Ray at (334) 467-0232.
Another way to help is to shop Christ’s Kitchen’s wish list on Amazon and have items mailed to 2209 North Ridge Rd, Prattville, AL 36067. Ray said that those individuals needing community service hours can get them by volunteering to help the ministry.
