Monthly Meal - Family Table

The Family Table is a free meal for those in need in the surrounding community.  It is held on the 4th Saturday of the month.

This Saturday noon meal is in its 4th year at Fridley UMC.  The average number of guests has risen to 90 with about 50 volunteers working.  Over the months, 100 volunteers have participated in the preparation and serving of the meals.

Most of the food is obtained from Second Harvest Heartland with the breads being obtained from Loft House Bakery in Fridley.  Produce and other items are also bought at Aldi's and CUB.
 

Doors are open at 11:30 am. and close at 1:00 pm.  The meal begins with the salad bar at approximately 11:40 am.  Meals are cooked on site and no pork is served.  A diabetic dessert option is usually available.

The schedule for the next few months is: 

Family Table always includes a salad bar and other fruits and vegetables on the menu.  This is a special treat for our guests who may not have access to fresh produce.  During the summer and early fall, you can grow and give some extra food to Family Table.

 

One way to do this is to Plant a Row of food to harvest for others.  Gardeners around the state have been doing this to make a difference.  When you donate your excess fruits and vegetables, our guests have better taste and quality of food.  Donations could also save us money, leaving more for other portions of the menu.

 

 

FUMC leaders developed the Family Table as an outreach to help alleviate hunger in our own community, by serving a free dinner to people in need on the fourth Saturday of each month.  The Family Table is possible, in part, because FUMC is in partnership with Second Harvest Heartland based in St. Paul, Minnesota. This allows us to purchase most of the food on our dinner menu at vastly reduced rates.  The shared maintenance fee has been 16 cents a pound.  Now, Rob Zeaske, Executive Director, announces that the fee will be 12 cents a pound, providing a 25% reduction in the fee.  This should allow more groups to feed or aid the hungry.
 

As the Upper Midwest’s largest Food Bank, Second Harvest Heartland has developed a network of over 400 partnerships with growers, processors, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers.  It also has other programs to help the hungry: the Food Rescue Program—Twelve Baskets collects prepared, perishable food and distributes it.  Child Hunger Programs provide food for after-school and summer care services. Senior Programs distribute fresh produce through Meals on Wheels and provide food to senior hi-rises.  The Supplemental Food Program serves eligible pregnant and post-partum women, children up to six, and seniors.  The Purchase Program supplements food donations, and the Produce Programs distribute fresh fruit and vegetables to local neighborhoods.  Second Harvest Heartland distributes about 30 million pounds of food annually to member non-profits, including food shelves, shelters, and soup kitchens. 
 

The mission of Second Harvest Heartland is to fight hunger through community partnerships.  The organization’s values are Justice, Leadership, Trust, and Excellence. Their strategic plan includes these goals: More Food, a Strong Organization, and an Influential Voice.

          Copyright  Fridley United Methodist Church               Updated 4/22/2013  bl