Sometimes Here at St. Peter’s Kitchen

-- we like to reminisce on how things were in the ‘good old days’

like before COVID, inflation and the large increases in the number of people served each week.

At lunch today Heidi, Ann Marie and Judy reflected on how not that long ago all the prep work, the sorting, chopping, paring, mixing and other such operations were done in the middle kitchen on two tables with six people. 

These days all the prep work is done on four new tables in a curtained off section that was once a rather dingy part of a huge dining area. 

On any given day there might be up to ten volunteers doing that sorting, chopping and all the other food prep work.

In the past upon completing their assigned tasks, the volunteers often had time to maybe relax a bit and even look for another little project.

Today the two tables in the middle kitchen are a plating area as seen below.

Thirty minutes before lunch starts the volunteers start the process where they dish the meal items into insulated serving containers. 

Then volunteers consolidate the long lines of filled containers into first-in/first-out grouped stacks of five.

There are stacks of an alternative meal done on the days we serve pork or fish.  

At noon, the serving begins in the dining area. 

Staff continuously moves the stacked meals to behind the serving line shelf in the dining area.

Finally, a smiling line of other volunteers will place them, along with drinks and desserts onto the serving shelf and grateful patrons are able to obtain another nutritious and balanced meal.

Toward the end of their shift, instead of maybe looking for something else to do, volunteers are much more likely to be looking forward to sitting down for a well-deserved and well-prepared lunch with coworkers and friends. 

We are in high need of toys and blankets for 0 - 3 year old as well as 8 - 12 year old children.

  Please note: we have we have plenty of Barbie items.

Board games, puzzles and stuffed animals are always welcome.

For questions about donations or please contact Amy Mincer at amy@stpeterskitchen.org.

Pre-registration required to shop for toys.  We serve the following zip codes: 14604, 14606, 14608, 14611, 14614,

14619 and 14620.