The coronavirus pandemic brought many things to an end, but with it came new opportunities, too. Beginning 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 2, Daybreak Community Church will be serving the community take-out meals weekly through its Kitchen of Hope program.

While the church’s members have served food to the public before, this effort is in partnership with St. James Episcopal Church. Pastor Richard Frazier said the Rev. Evan Fischer contacted about continuing the program St. James has offered for the past several years. 

“I wanted to continue the tradition of the Saturday lunches St. James has served for the past 7 years,” Frazier said. 

Because of COVID-19, St. James is no longer able to offer the meals, and it was vital the food be distributed in a safe manner.

Because safety is important, the Kitchen of Hope meals will be take-out only to start, and volunteers will be required to wear masks, Frazier said. Because feeding the community is critical, he wants to steer clear of any health code violations that have shut down other programs.

“Our goal is to make this a safe place for people to receive a free meal weekly,” Frazier said.

DayBreak will be providing 5 weekly teams with a total of 25-30 church members to help share the responsibility with Frazier, who also serves the Wooster Hope Center director, overseeing each weekly Kitchen of Hope meal. The take-out lunches will be offered from 11 a.m. to noon each Saturday.

“With the partnership of the congregation of DayBreak Community Church and our community ministry, the Wooster Hope Center, we will be able to offer the Kitchen of Hope for years and years to come,” Frazier said.

Frazier said he is hopeful people will soon be able to sit down and enjoy a meal together, because fellowship with one another is an important aspect of the DayBreak Community Church congregation.