Charles City Community Kitchen ending Sunday evening meals

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Sunday evening meals at the community kitchen in Charles City will end after this month.

The Rev. Deb Lincoln, the pastor of Jordan River on Main Street who runs the Messiah’s Food Pantry and the community kitchen, said the board decided to stop the meals because attendance has been down.

“We’ve been having anywhere from 5 to 15 people a week” at the Sunday meals, she said. “Looking through our history, summer is even lighter.”

She said the decision wasn’t a result of too few people volunteering to help out with the meals.

“No, no,” she said. “We’ve been blessed with volunteers. That hasn’t been a problem.”

Lincoln said the decision could be a positive indicator.

The Messiah’s Food Pantry, which operates out of the rear of the church, has gotten so much better at helping people meet their food needs that not as many need the Sunday meal, she said.

The board will re-evaluate the decision in September and could decide to resume the meals in the fall, Lincoln said.