Hunger results in extended meal service

“We saw consistent numbers of meals being served and knew the time was right to expand to offering meals two nights per week,” said Ward Merrill, executive director of Backus.

The Community Cafe began June 6 serving dinner from 5:30-6 p.m. on Thursday nights in addition to Tuesday nights. Takeout meals are offered at 6 p.m. both evenings.

The Community Cafe kicked off Dec. 4, 2012, in an effort to provide a free meal to those in the community who are in need, regardless of age, income or other criteria. Backus partnered with the Falls Hunger Coalition to decrease the number of hungry people in Borderland.

“The doors are open to everyone,” Merrill said. “We don’t ask questions.”

Merrill called the initiative an “instant success” and said a steering committee set a goal to expand the cafe beyond Tuesday nights if the need was seen in the community.

“We thought if we served at least 30 meals at each cafe, we’d be doing well,” Merrill said. “We have never served fewer than 30 meals. The lowest number was 34 one night in March. We knew it was time to introduce a Thursday night cafe.”

On average, Merrill said 56 meals were served each week with the number growing as the summer began. He added that 73 meals were served the first Thursday night the cafe was open.

“We are so glad people are taking advantage of this,” he said. “As long as usage and needs continue, we’ll continue with twice per week.”

The director also noted the effort put into the cafe’s success by dozens of volunteers.

“The volunteer response has been tremendous,” he said. “We are booked all the way through 2013 for volunteers. It’s just incredible.”

He added that Backus has not been short of funds since the effort began, but is always accepting donations. A $10,000 donation received by the community center assists in the endeaveor, as does keeping the costs of meals down.

Merrill said when the cafe originally began, the steering committee predicted meals would cost about $3 each. Currently, each meal costs $2.63, he said.

“Coming in below our estimated cost per meal also helps in the cafe’s success,” he said.

In an excited tone, Merrill told The Journal that transportation to and from the cafe is now being provided by the St. Paul Lutheran Church.

“We have been asked about transportation since we started the Community Cafe, and never considered it at first,” Merrill said. “Now, with the help of St. Paul Lutheran, this is possible.”

Those interested in the complimentary transportation must contact Backus at 285-7225 by 4 p.m. Monday or Wednesday – the day prior to the dinner they wish to attend.

While the Community Cafe is a newer program at Backus, it isn’t the first of its kind. Since June 2010, the community center has served lunch to children as part of the Summer Food Service program. Since it began, meals served throughout the summer months have grown from 3,000 to 7,000 this past summer.

“We’re expecting the number to grow this summer,” Merrill said.

Throughout the summer, Monday through Friday, except holidays, free lunch is being served to the community’s youth from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. until Aug. 30.

Like the Community Cafe, there are no income or eligibility requirements to participate in the food service program. Parents may eat with their children at no cost if they are food shelf clients or have a need for food shelf services. Backus requests a $3.50 lunch donation from other adults to help cover the meal cost.

“We are serving an average of 107 lunches per day,” Merrill said.

Both the Community Cafe and the Summer Food Service Program fit a major goal of the Backus Community Center kitchen project when Backus began raising funds to construct the facility in 2007.

“One of the reasons we remodeled the kitchen and dining room during the renovation process was to help serve and help the community,” Merrill said. “And the community, I believe, truly appreciates that we area able to offer this.”