Community dinner scheduled

With the backing of members of Fresh Encounter Church, a quarterly return of the community kitchen is in the air. The first community dinner is scheduled for Feb. 6 at the church.

The meal is a way to bring back the community kitchen that used to be run weekly at First Baptist Church. The Lions Club hosted one before Thanksgiving and asked if Fresh Encounter would be interested in hosting it.

“Why don’t we? We have the facilities with an industrial kitchen,” said Ross Thygesen, Leadership Team member. “This is a no-brainer. Show people who Jesus really is by feeding them.”

The spaghetti dinner is open to anyone. 

“I helped with the mobile food pantry at the Vets Auditorium and really noticed that food insecurity in Shelby County is a thing,” Thygesen said. “People don’t want to look at it. I saw it and realized we have to do this.”

He said there has already been a lot of support within the church.

“It’s been so amazing,” Thygesen said. “A lot of people want to help and be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

He said the goal is to do it once a quarter working together with other groups. There is no fee.

“We just care about fellowship,” Thygesen said. “The goal is to help people with food insecurities have a hot meal. I want to stress to bring in the kids. There are a lot of kids that go home at night without.”