Grace's Kitchen

Three dozen volunteers turned out Tuesday night for a meeting at the Masonic Hall in Le Roy to learn about a new organization being formed by the Le Roy Rotary Club to help provide nutritious meals to members of the community.

Since Grace's Kitchen shut down in the Fall fo 2016, those with the financial or social need for free community meals haven't had a place to go, and Rotary members realized if there was going to be another community kitchen, they might need to be the ones to step up and make it happen.

"We felt there was a need in the community and that's what we do," said Tracy Ford. "Our motto is service above self."

Grace's Kitchen closed after Selby Davis left town. Davis operated Grace's Kitchen with oversight by the Le Roy Christian Community Project (LCCP). From 2011 to 2016, Grace's Kitchen served 100 to 125 people meals regularly, and 70 percent of those individual helped were elderly.

Meanwhile, there has been an increase in students participating in the LCCP's Backpack Club, which provides students with food bags to help them not go hungry between the time school gets out on Friday and begins again on Monday. About 35 percent of the students at Le Roy CSD are enrolled in the school's free or reduced-price meal program.

All of this, Ford said, points to an ongoing need for a meal program in the community.

To start, the Rotary Club, assisted by Foodlink, the Masons, local churches, the Boy Scouts, and other community groups, will serve a meal every other week at the Masonic Hall on Bank Street.

The first meal is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27.

To facilitate the sustainability of the program, the Rotary members formed a nonprofit corporation.

The directors are: Christine Gephart, president; James Ellison, VP; Tracy Ford, secretary; Benjamin Dragon, treasurer; and board members Samantha Vagg Lawrence Boylan, Joan Ellison, Lynda Lowe and Collen O'Connor.

Much of the food will be provided by Foodlink. Ford said local restaurants said they will assist with meals.  

Ford said there should be plenty of food donated to help keep the program going so the main thing the organization needs from community members who want to help is to show up and offer helping hands.

"Manpower is the one big need," she said.

Grace’s Kitchen celebrated its fourth anniversary on Tuesday — just a week late, but in “fabulous” style.

A total of 154 guests enjoyed prime rib dinner prepared under the direction of chef and founder Selby Davis.

“We were given a large donation by a former LeRoyan who wanted us to use some of it for a fabulous meal,” Davis said.

The menu also included “Grace’s Great Green Salad,” baked potatoes and chocolate souffle cake with whipped cream and raspberries.

Grace’s Kitchen serves a free “community dinner” from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Masonic Community Center, 12 Bank St. It is sponsored by the Le Roy Christian Community Project, and supported by donations and volunteers.

There is no charge for dinner, but free-will offerings are welcomed.

Tuesday’s special prime rib dinner had been planned for Feb. 16, but was postponed because of a snowstorm.

Grace’s Kitchen was launched on Valentine’s Day 2012 — and it’s been a “work in progress” ever since, Davis said.

Clientele shrank after Grace’s Kitchen moved from its original location at Le Roy United Methodist Church to the Masonic Community Center. But eight months later, attendance is picking up again.

“We’ve served varying numbers, predominantly seniors,” Davis said. “We do a consistent number of deliveries within the village, and continue to be blessed with a stellar group of loyal volunteers.”

Davis stressed that Grace’s Kitchen welcomes the entire community — “no matter what need we may be addressing.”

“Some guests are financially grateful we are here, and others are happy for the company and friendships they have made,” she said.

Davis said there seems to be a common perception that Grace’s Kitchen exists to feed a “destitute” population. That’s not at all true, she said: Showing up for dinner, does not mean you’re taking food away from someone else.

“I assure you that we always have enough, if not an overflow,” Davis said.

Tuesday’s dinner was made a little extra special, with help from third-graders from Wolcott Street School. Betsy Overacker’s students visited earlier in the day to help set tables, drop off cards they made to accompany deliveries, and to share placemats decorated by the entire grade level. Other classes will visit on one Tuesday of each month remaining in the school year.

Top photo: Volunteers Debbie Lathan and Sue Lints serve up a meal at Grace's Kitchen.

Photos by Howard Owens.

About a year ago, Selby Davis, a lifelong Le Roy resident, became aware of something -- one in four area school children were receiving free or reduced-priced lunches and breakfasts.

"I figured out there were a lot of hungry people who needed food," Davis said.

Davis sits on the board of the Le Roy Christian Community Project. LCCP runs a backpack program, which sends food home with needy children on Fridays to ensure they have something nutritious to eat over the weekend.

With seed money from The Backpack Club, Davis started Grace's Kitchen, a weekly dinner at the Le Roy United Methodist Church, 10 Trigon Park, Le Roy. The meal is from 5 to 7 p.m. and is free to anybody who walks through the door.

Donations are always welcome from anybody who can afford to make a cash contribution.

In the one year since the kitchen was opened, 4,832 people have been served meals. The largest turnouts have been 210 meals in a night.

Most of the people who show up are older residents.

People have told Davis that the weekly meal is something they look forward to not just because it's free, but it's a chance to socialize and share a community meal.

"I have one table of elderly women who come every week," Davis said. "They stay from 5-7. One of the women is 97. It’s such a Godsend."

There are children in the community who benefit from the charity, and some of them come in for meals but most of the children are served by volunteers who deliver the meals to their homes.

Davis said the volunteers have been key to the success of Grace's Kitchen. Her e-mail list of volunteers is too long to count, she said. On a typical night, eight or nine people show up to work in the dining room, five in the kitchen and a couple to handle deliveries.

"The volunteers have come out of the woodwork," Davis said. "They're devoted. They've been here. They're friendly."

For the volunteers, it's as much about being with friends as serving the community they said.

"It’s really become like a family here," Pavilion resident Debbie Lathan said. "We get to know all the people who come through and when they’re not here, we ask about them and we worry about them. It’s just like a great big family of people that come together every week."

David Mancuso, also of Pavilion, agreed.

"It’s just enjoyable each week," he said. "You kind of look forward to it. You have a lot of fun with the people here and each other, and you really feel like you’re doing something good."

Davis plans each meal and oversees the preparation. Volunteers describe her cooking as fabulous.

There's been tremendous support from the Le Roy community for the program, Davis said. Pastors from various churches stop in and lead prayers; Le Roy Rotary has made donations and Tops donates day-old bread each Tuesday.

There's always a need to feed the hungry of Le Roy, Davis said, and donations are always appreciated.

"I want to say thank you for the support of the community," Davis said. "I hope we're going in another year and in another 20 years."

The menu for each week's meal is posted on LCCP's Facebook page.

Nancy Baker, of Le Roy, mixes the salad.

Debbie Lathan, Dave Mancuso and Nancy Baker.