Every Monday here at St. Luke’s, about a dozen volunteers can be found making hundreds of bagged lunches. Yes hundreds. 600-750 meals to be exact. One of our members, Laura Mathews, says the dedicated volunteers meet in the kitchen every Monday morning at 8:30. They bag meals consisting of sandwiches, chips, granola bars, fruit, cookies, and a drink. Then volunteers drive the meals to Fletcher Place, where they’re distributed by our “angel”, Teressa.

For those of you who might not be familiar with it, the Fletcher Place Community Center exists to break the cycle of poverty through hope, compassion, and renewal. Programs help to ease the burden of low to moderate-income individuals who struggle with life’s basic needs. And Laura’s group of volunteers have been bagging meals for this wonderful cause since March 2020.

Prior to the pandemic, Laura and her husband, Mike, went to Fletcher Place to cook and serve hot meals. When the pandemic hit, everything, including the kitchen at Fletcher Place, closed. Knowing this would leave a huge void, Laura inquired about preparing meals that wouldn’t require refrigeration. She decided that they could assemble “bagged” meals that could be handed out.

Since then, the work has grown tremendously. Our volunteers now make around 700 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every week. Two of our friends bake homemade cookies to go in each bag. The volunteers purchase chips, granola bars, and other items with their own money. And Laura says the work being done here has even reached 10 people in her neighborhood with no prior St. Luke’s connections. They now make sandwiches every week and have told Laura that they love all the outreach St. Luke’s does. Laura and her group have been doing this for 5 and a half years now, and she says they’re committed to this outreach as long as there is a need.

If you want to learn more or get involved with Fletcher Place Meals, click here!

If you heard this story and feel called to share where you are finding and giving hope, click here!

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