Free Friday meal at ORUUC
This Friday, June 24, at 5 p.m., community members are invited into the Social Hall at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church (ORUUC) for a free meal; they’re also welcome to drive through the parking lot to pick up a pre-packaged meal for themselves, their family, friends, or neighbors. On the menu this month is Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad, Fresh Fruit, and Rice Krispies Treats.
New Stone Soup leader Miria Webb is excited to be welcoming diners back into the building. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Stone Soup volunteers switched gears and began putting together takeout meals. Those will continue to be available as a convenient option. But for some, the act of sharing a meal together has been missed.
“Having a meal for people to share is a way of creating community across all lines, and I hope anyone in need, be it financial or time or of community will partake," Webb said.
Making community connections, forming relationships among volunteers, and sharing meals together were among the goals of the Social Action Working Group at ORUUC when it approached the congregation in 2010 with the idea of Stone Soup. Webb, who has a background in preparing large meals for nonprofits, began volunteering as the team leader this spring. She hopes the meals they make are filling spirits and minds while filling bellies.
“People function much better when they're well fed,” Webb said recently. “I strongly believe that a way to show love is by nourishing the body.”
This monthly meal is made possible through a long-standing partnership between ORUUC, the Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge (JCOR), and Kroger Marketplace. Recent donations of food have led to some creative meal planning.
“I'm currently planning meals involving as much of the generous donations we get from our community as possible,” Webb said. “Last month’s Asian beef soup was inspired by a generous donations of stew beef. This month's kitchen sink pasta salad came out of donated ham and salami. It's a lot of fun coming up with the menus and working with the teams to create the meals. The best part is hanging out in the kitchen with awesome people.”
ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike, near traffic light No. 2. Meals will be available from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday, or until supplies run out. The Social Hall is located just off the parking lot. For those driving through, volunteers will bring meals to your vehicle. Bags of non-perishable groceries will also be available by request. All are welcome…always!
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Free Friday meal at ORUUC: Dine-in or drive through
