Kate’s Kitchen has been serving lunch to the greater Holyoke area and the Pioneer Valley since Sr. Margaret McCleary opened its doors over 40 years ago. As time has gone on, we have seen that need grow exponentially, especially as costs have gone up and the number of those we serve has increased. We’ve learned that after some community members come to Kate’s Kitchen for lunch, they often do not get another meal until they return the next day. If you’ve followed us for long, you may know that we have opened our doors as an emergency warming shelter during extreme cold in the winter months. It is an honor and a privilege for us to be able to do this. We now see some of our unhoused friends again at our front door, but they’re here because they’re hungry. Our staff pulls together a bowl of oatmeal and a few snacks from the break room, or if there’s any left, a meal from that day’s lunch service. We also routinely have 3 children stop by – two older sisters and their 2 year old brother; their mom works 2nd shift and they’re hungry. They have no food in the house, so we do the same for them. Opening our doors at dinner would not only give us an opportunity to offer another meal in the day, but also to reach those we may not be able to at lunch. Dinner shouldn’t be a luxury, it’s a basic need.
Providence Ministries is excited to announce that beginning Monday, June 26, Kate’s Kitchen will begin offering dine-in dinner service to meet this demand. Lunch service hours will shift from 12-1pm, and dinner service hours will be from 5-6pm; to-go style meals during lunch hours will continue during the weekend. The need is not just for the most vulnerable in our population. There is an increased strain on middle class families with the cost of groceries skyrocketing – if we can ease this burden for them even one night a week, it’s worth it. Will you help us? Kate’s Kitchen has changed countless lives since 1980 – you can be part of that legacy by feeding dinner to those who will walk through these doors. Every dollar donated goes directly to our mission of nourishing hope and changing lives. If we don’t, who will?
