life in the Kearsarge area
what's happening in the Kearsarge/Lake Sunapee area of NHArchive for volunteer
5,000 casseroles
The recipe on deck is macaroni and beef pronto. “It’s an ancient Mueller’s recipe,” says Janet Paulsen of Wilmot. And although four ladies are cooking up enough food to feed 100 or more people, they are not intimidated by the task at hand. The group — members of the Kearsarge Community Presbyterian Church in New London — has been preparing meals for the “Feed the Freezer” project since January 2009.
“It started with the kitchen,” says Dave Barden, mission committee chair. Indeed, the church has an amazing professional kitchen; it was added as part of a 2004 renovation. The original thought was to use the underused location as a soup kitchen, but “after a few meetings it was decided that the most practical way to provide food to needy individuals and families was to distribute frozen casseroles through the Newport Food Pantry.”
Church members donate $10 each month to purchase ingredients, and many items — such as about-to-expire meat and vegetables — are donated by Hannaford in New London. Small groups of willing cooks meet every other week to create meals out of whatever donated food they have. Extra-large cans of chili, provided by the food pantry, are used as the base of a casserole. Super-sized boxes of elbow macaroni find their way into the pronto casserole or a macaroni and cheese recipe. “We like to keep things simple, and vary the recipe according to what we have for ingredients,” says Paulsen.
The group estimates they’ll make 45 casseroles today. Since each casserole serves two (three, if there’s a small child in the home), that’s 90 to 135 people that won’t go hungry.
About 60 church members — from middle school students to 80-year-old retirees — volunteer in the kitchen. “If I’m short a cook, all I have to do is ask,” says Paulsen, one of two head cooks, “and I get twice as many people as I need.”
The volunteer operation takes their work seriously — everyone wears hair nets, aprons and gloves, and the kitchen is inspected by the state of New Hampshire. They also have an assembly line production: One volunteer is writing casserole ingredients, under the date, on the cardboard tops of the aluminum containers provided by the Newport Food Kitchen. Another ladles noodles into each container, another sprinkles cheddar cheese on top, and two more add the tops and turn down the edges to seal the casseroles. Soon 29 containers are ready to go into the professional freezer. The frozen casseroles will be picked up the next day and delivered to the Newport Food Pantry, where families eagerly await a home-cooked meal.
“They do cartwheels over them. People are asking for them, and ask if they can come back when we have them,” says Rich Chappell, coordinator of the Newport Food Pantry. “There’s a good variety, they are good quality — it’s been a blessing.” The two-serving casserole is perfect for seniors, and bigger families take home two containers.
After two hours, the ladies are halfway through — another pot of sauce and another pot of boiling noodles are waiting. They make 26 more casseroles. “It’s heartwarming to feel like we’ve done something,” says Dot Wicksman of Sutton. “I’m grateful that I have enough food, and I’m glad that someone else can get food if they need it.”
In October 2014, the Feed the Freezer project reached a milestone: 5,000 casseroles. If you’re interested in helping, the group is at the Kearsarge Community Presbyterian Church on 82 King Hill Road in New London. Donations can be sent to Kearsarge Community Presbyterian Church, Feed the Freezer, 82 King Hill Road, New London NH 03257.
life in the Kearsarge area 