By Robert Williams

Editor

Members of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Frazee have begun a program to use meals as a way to get closer to members of the congregation and share their cooking talents as a way to help people.

The “Love Kitchen” is a program that provides meals for pick-up to bring to someone who is in need of sustenance of the mind, body and spirit. 

“I brought the idea back from a church in South Dakota; they were doing it and I loved the idea,” said Beyer.

Beyer was visiting her brother and sister-in-law in Sioux Falls and picked up the idea at their church. Upon returning to Frazee, the ladies at Bethlehem Lutheran accepted the project as one of their missions and that mission is to prepare components for a meal that anybody that would like to take one can pick up at the church.

The meal consists of a 24-ounce container of homemade hotdish, frozen vegetables, two homemade buns, homemade cookies, and a choice of pudding or a fruit cup. The bagged meal comes with an inspirational card and can be delivered to those in need. The main purpose of the program, which began in September, is promoting social interaction and caring for others.

“They can take it to somebody who has had a new baby; had a crisis in their family, had a tough diagnosis or just because you want to go visit,” Beyer said.

Typically, church members have been taking the dinners to fellow members and have expanded to include those who are not affiliated with Bethlehem Lutheran.

“We know of other people in the community and especially if they’re alone and lonely and you just want to go visit—it gives a chance to spread the compassion and the caring that Christ shared with people,” said Beyer. 

The meal itself is made, delivered and shared with the symbolic act of “breaking bread” in the Christian sense—the practice of sharing meals as a way of building fellowship.

“That was the main purpose for bringing it back—it’s an opportunity to get more acquainted with our church members and spend some social time and recognize their needs,” said Beyer.

The committee has used funds raised from their fall dinners to start the program and have also been the beneficiaries of donations, not all of it in cash form.

“Basically, all of the hotdishes, buns and cookies have been donated by members who have made them,” said Beyer.

The hotdish donations have been coming in four distinct flavors: chicken rice, tater tot, taco and a lasagna hotdish.

“Our church is very generous about providing for things like this,” Beyer said.

Meals can be expanded to cover an entire household, if necessary.

“If there are six people in the house we’ll send six meals,” said Beyer. 

The church also provided 10 Thanksgiving meals that were brought to the Frazee schools and distributed to those who need them this week and last weekend held their annual Cookie Walk.

For more information or to schedule a pick-up of a meal to share contact Mary Jane Beyer at (218) 849-3944 or via email lmjbeyer@loretel.net