MOBERLY — Food insecurity is an issue that continues to impact American families. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 17.3% of households with children will be food insecure by 2022. Moberly's Community Kitchen is working to combat that.
“We just want to be a place where people can come together and eat without having to worry about money,” director Diane Panjada said.
The kitchen offers guests a survey asking if they suffer from food anxiety. According to Panjada, 65-70% of her guests say yes.
The kitchen, located on West Reed Street, is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. We will also be open in the mornings after temperatures drop below 20 degrees. When food is not being served in the kitchen, this space is open to AA meetings, prayer groups, and other activities.
“This is more than just a soup kitchen. It's a place to socialize,” said Community Kitchen board member David Ornburn.
When open, the kitchen serves an average of 75 to 165 customers, providing much-needed assistance to families struggling to put food on the table.
The kitchen relies on donations and volunteers. Organizations such as Timberlake Christian Church, Palmer's Home Care, Reef Financial and the Food Bank of Northeast and Central Missouri are bringing in food and volunteers.
“We receive a lot of food from food banks,” Panjada said. “Sometimes I wonder if it holds so much food that it barely stretches.”
However, in a community kitchen, you may not have to worry about supplies at all.
“Walmart DC (distribution center) donated 500 pounds of potatoes and 10 cases of Hawaiian rolls, so sometimes we get creative and sometimes we get a lot of surplus donated.” Panjada said.
Back in February, the kitchen served guests egg noodles, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, and beef brought in by Timberlake.
“It's home-cooked food, and it's very delicious,” Ornburn said.
Moberly resident Randy Lee brings a Venezuelan refugee family he sponsors into his kitchen every Wednesday.
Lee met Maria, a refugee, while working at a children's home in Venezuela. He stayed in touch and helped Maria and her family settle in the United States. Free meals make it easy to take some time off from work, he says.
“It's nutritious and doesn't need to be prepared at home, so Maria has a little more flexibility at work and cleaning the house,” Lee said. “They sometimes have problems with American food, but today they looked at it and said, 'Oh, that's good.'”
The kitchen has been in use since 2010. Panjada told his KOMU 8 that he hopes to raise more awareness about the need for volunteers in the future, especially during the summer.
“We just want people to help us spread the word and remind people that we're here,” Panjada said.
Donations to Community Kitchen can be mailed to 411 W. Reed St., Moberly, Missouri, 65270.
