Since June 1974, Covington's Parish Kitchen has provided a free lunch and a place of respite every day to those in need in the community.
The organization was founded by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Covington and has provided millions of meals to Northern Kentucky residents since its inception.
On Monday evening, Parish Kitchen staff came together to celebrate this milestone, as guests, volunteers and friends came together to sample guests’ favorite meals, tour the facility and mingle with friends.
Covington Mayor Joe Meyer was also in attendance and made an official proclamation commemorating June 17 as “Parish Kitchen Day” in Covington.
“The kitchen started with 35 volunteers and served its first meal to five guests,” Meyer said. “Today, the parish kitchen has approximately 300 volunteers who feed everyone who comes through the lunch shift every day.”
But the 50th anniversary wasn't the only thing guests celebrated: a new addition to the kitchen garden was unveiled and a memorial dedicated to Tom Law, who died of pancreatic cancer in April.
Mr. Rowe was a former director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Covington and a beloved helper in the parish kitchen who dedicated his life to serving those in his community.
Going forward, the charity hopes to expand its services to better serve and support more people in need and the growing community around them.
Click through to see everything we saw at the event.
