Local woman takes cue from free Feed Cheney meals program, hopes to bring ML community together
By RYAN LANCASTER
Staff Reporter
For the past several months Medical Lake resident Joanna Williams has been setting the table for a free monthly meal. Now she's inviting the community to come and get it.
Starting June 13, Feed Medical Lake will offer a free soup, sandwich and beverage supper the second Monday of each month from 5-6 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church, 223 South Hallett St.
Williams stresses that this isn't a religious event, but a way to help families stretch their food budgets while building a sense of place.
“There's a giant need for a free meal in this town,” she said, pointing to the city's large number of residents who are disabled and/or elderly, as well as low-income families with children. “To me it's about community, the whole town. We're all a family and you have to take care of each other, especially with the economy like it is.”
Williams takes no credit for the free meal idea, saying she fashioned it after the successful Feed Cheney program started last year by Natalie Tauzin. Williams has relied on Tauzin's experience to help her navigate the planning stage. She's also been creating email lists and going through the phonebook to find individuals and companies interested in donating to the cause – whether it's a check or a three-pound can of coffee.
With a $500 donation from a Cheney resident, a $1,000 commitment from the faith-based non-profit Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and a dip into her own savings account, Williams managed to gather enough funding to get this first meal off the ground.
She'd like to work through local aid agencies to get groceries for future meals, but that might be a tall order. The Medical Lake Food Bank is already stretched thin on food donations and Spokane's Second Harvest told Williams they're unable to take on new projects at this time because they're struggling to meet commitments they already have. Spokane's House of Charity said they might be able to supply some salads, however, and Williams remains hopeful that other help will materialize.
One big positive, she said, is that just a few weeks ago the Spokane County Health Department approved the Feed Medical Lake meals site – a fellowship hall in the basement of St. John's that has a commercial dishwasher, two stoves and enough plates, cutlery and room for about 300 people.
Williams said the agency also approved the use of an outdoor grill a couple times a year during the summer months, which she plans to take advantage of in July with a freedom-themed all-American hamburger cookout. Each month's event will have its own theme “to perk things up a little,” Williams said, with this month's chili, vegetable soup and hotdogs meal being served under the banner of “School is out and so is the sun.”
About 45 volunteers of all ages have so far agreed to help with things like setup, seating, serving, kitchen work and takedown, but Williams said she'd like to get more signed up to fill in when needed. “It is summer. Forty-five volunteers sounds like a lot but if half of them decide to go to the beach we'd be stuck,” she said.
Along with Medical Lake residents, Williams expects a few folks from the Cheney area at the meals because Feed Cheney isn't serving in June, July or August. This is just fine with her, as she's hoping for a diverse group to foster a stronger community.
“People ask me, isn't this just for the poor? No, it's for everybody, I can't discriminate. If Donald Trump showed up with his millions I'd serve him a bowl of soup,” she said.
For more information, or to volunteer, contact Joanna Williams at 714-1150 or [email protected].
Ryan Lancaster can be reached at [email protected].
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