A hot meal and community — even when you need to spread out across Cal Anderson to enjoy your lunch at a proper social distance — means a lot right now.
Every Tuesday and Friday, Community Lunch on Capitol Hill serves a few hundred hot lunches from 11th Ave’s Central Lutheran Church. During the COVID-19 crisis, folks are eating in the nearby park.
CHS stopped through to show you the goodwill and let you know more about how to help:
Donate – Our operating costs continue to increase during this crisis. We are purchasing the items that allow us to serve the meals as take-outs (bags, compostable containers, etc.) as well as increased staff hours due to limits on the number of volunteers. As mentioned, our Spring Celebration Gala, originally scheduled for tonight, was cancelled due to the virus. This annual event is critical for the financial viability of Community Lunch in a “normal” year. We have rescheduled for June 20th, but with the uncertainty surrounding the duration of this crisis, please donate to Community Lunch on Capitol Hill TODAY.
Volunteer – Though we are only taking 5 to 6 volunteers per meal, we are going to need additional volunteers as folks step away for various reasons as the crisis continues. Please do not show up unannounced. Email [email protected] with days and times you are available. Our hours of operation are Tuesday and Friday 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM and Wednesday and Thursday 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM. We will contact you when the need arises. Please be patient with our responses as we manage through this situation.
Like many groups, Community Lunch is working even harder during the pandemic. All meals are now served as take-out in front of the church and they’re doing their best to keep quality high even as supplies can run low with “a hot entree and vegetables, buttered bread, fruit and other snack, dessert, PBJ sandwich, and drinks” plus “pet supplies and other necessities” available when needed. Community Lunch has also implemented new processes to protect volunteers, staff, and the people they serve.
“We could not have responded to these sudden changes without the tremendous dedication of our volunteers and staff, nor without the donors who have provided additional funding during this uncertain time,” the group said in a recent update. “To all of you, we offer a heartfelt THANK YOU!”
Around Capitol Hill and across Seattle, restaurants have also been pitching in. CHS reported on tiny Spice Waala taking on a big mission: providing 50 free meals every Monday and Tuesday night on 15th Ave E. 14th Ave’s Nue Seattle donated meals to health care workers at Neighborcare Health at Rainier Beach community health center last week and 12th Ave’s Ba Bar announced a new effort to feed 100 healthcare workers a day.
Meanwhile, area food banks are also feeling the crunch. You can find a list of nearby food banks here to learn more about how to donate.
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