Pepperell Baptist Community Kitchen in the O/A News! Page3-A

To be a dinner guest at their table, the only thing you’ll need to bring is a healthy appetite.

Next week, the Pepperell Baptist Church will be hosting its Community Kitchen. PBC will serve free meals from its kitchen on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

Organizer say the need for the PBC Community Kitchen was magnified in light of the difficult economic times many area residents are experiencing.

“We realized that we have several families living in poverty in this area and have a tough time getting one meal a day,” said Joey McAnally, president of the PBC Community Kitchen Board.

While the PBC’s Community Kitchen will be open to anyone in the community that needs a meal, McAnally says the program is primarily geared toward low-income families, the elderly and shut-ins.

The Food Bank of East Alabama has supplied all the food served at PBC’s Community Kitchen at a discounted rate, said Heath Carmichael, vice president of the PBC Community Kitchen Board.

“In the past couple of Community Kitchen meals, we’ve served approximately 170, but are capable of serving up to 300 persons,” said Carmichael, who added he would like to see the number of folks that turn out for the free meals increase. “We’ll serve until our food is gone.”

The PBC Community Kitchen is registered as a non-profit organization, Carmichael said.

Among the past dinner guests, the kitchen has served East Alabama Services For the Elderly Inc: Ease House Apartments and His Place in Opelika.

“One meal may not sound like much, but it’s a start,” Carmichael said.