It wasn't too hot in the kitchen for Wood River Middle School seventh- and eighth-graders at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Hailey on a Monday night in mid-October. The 20 or so boys and girls who were working in unison resembled an assembly line of production cooking, serving and cleaning without missing a beat.
The students were volunteering for community service for St. Charles' Souper Supper. The students provided a healthy and delicious meal for the weekly Monday night free community dinners.
"They plan the meal, organize it, get it, cook it and clean it up," said Jill Clark, Wood River Middle School gate facilitator and elective teacher. "Everyone wants to work."
Clark said she could tell exactly how many dinners were needed because the church only has 64 plates and at 6 p.m. only six plates were not being used, but dinners were still coming out the kitchen. In addition, 13 to-go containers were filled with only a few left.
St. Charles holds dinners on Monday and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m., and it's a range of folks who attend, including seniors on fixed incomes and families. The recession has created more of a demand but St. Charles has been having dinners for the past 12 years.
"We do not pay," said dinner organizer Lynn Flickinger. "It's 100 percent volunteer and all the food is donated."
In Bellevue, Rita Hurst and Chrissy Sheff have been holding a community dinner at the Rosebud Deli every Tuesday evening from 4-7 p.m. for the past five months. Deli owner Hurst said the lowest number of attendees has been 25 and the highest 77.
"It is the highlight of my week," Hurst said. "It's all donations. The deck, gas stove and food have all been donated for the dinners."
Hurst said the number of attendees in the last couple of months has been sticking between 48 and 50. She is also preparing a complete Thanksgiving Dinner on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving for anyone who wants to come.
In Ketchum, the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood will start its community dinners on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Michael Hobbs and other members of the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood are organizing the Ketchum community dinners.
"Most of the food is donated," Hobbs said. "We do buy food from the Idaho food bank, which is about $20 for a month supply. This will be our second season for community dinners."
Hobbs said other community aid organizations such as the Hunger Coalition have requested the dinners to start because there is a demand for meals since summer employment has ended. Hobbs is a volunteer and has organized teams and groups to prepare and serve the meals. In addition, he has created a Web site about the mission of the community dinner and those involved.
"You see all types of people come to dinner," Hobbs said. "It's mostly families. We will have to-go boxes, which will be made of recycled materials this year."
The Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood is hoping to have free bus service from Hailey to Ketchum. For details, visit ketchumcommunitydinners.com.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
Free community meals
Ketchum
· Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood will serve Wednesday dinners beginning Nov. 4 through May. Dinner served 6-7 p.m.
Hailey
· St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church serves dinners Mondays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.
Bellevue
· Rosebud Deli serves Tuesday dinners from 4-7 p.m.
Wood River Middle School students in the seventh and eighth grades cook for St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church’s Souper Suppers, free community dinners.
Express photos by Mark Oliver
