Sunday morning I trekked through a snow covered Lansing to volunteer at the Volunteers of America Community Kitchen. A line of seniors, adults, young adults and children arrived early to wait for breakfast to begin at 8:00 am.  The Community Kitchen is open 365 days a year and provides free nutritious meals to the hungry and homeless. This past year the Community Kitchen set a new fiscal year record of 130,955 total meals served.

Volunteers assist with cooking, cleaning and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  During my breakfast shift I was tasked with serving beverages. I met so many thankful people who battled below freezing temperatures and snow for a hot breakfast and cup of coffee. Another volunteer informed me that the kitchen serves up to 200 people in the hour and a half each meal is served every weekend. I really enjoyed my time volunteering at the community kitchen and I plan on continuing to help provide a hot meal to those in need. For more information about services offered or how to volunteer for Volunteers of America, visit their website: http://www.voami.org

– Alexis Ringman, Project Specialist