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Serving a hot meal with a side of love.
by Ronda Gilger –
The Colorado Kitchen offers a variety of services including a senior lunch program. |
The Colorado Kitchen in Colorado Springs, Colo., provides a peek into the wide array of work The Salvation Army does in this community.
The kitchen is open to seniors at lunchtime, where they can enjoy a nutritious meal, sample the salad bar and perhaps sneak an extra dessert while socializing with friends. Every night, additional meals are delivered to the streets for the homeless and low-income families who wait, sometimes in the bitter cold, for a hot meal, some encouragement and possibly a coat, scarf or pair of gloves. The kitchen also provides meals for the over 150 clients at The Salvation Army’s New Hope Shelter.
“I’ve been coming for the last six years and have never had a bad meal,” said Frand Ulibarri. “When I come here, I know I’m meeting friends for lunch.”
More than a preparation site, the Colorado Kitchen and its employees and volunteers have a personal mission in touching hungry lives—love and prayer go into the making of each meal.
“Everybody is friendly here—The Salvation Army really cares about people,” said Ken Streitmatter. “It was no surprise that after I came to lunch for a while, I was invited to church and now I’m a soldier! I’m very proud of what is being done here.”
The kitchen is operated under The Salvation Army’s El Paso County Administration, and provides a link to the Colorado Springs Corps since both are located in the same building. It is the central provider of food for the county’s 1) senior lunch program; 2) social service clients; 3) Katrina aid clients; 4) FreshStart and Bridgehouse residents; 5) licensed children’s program; 6) corps meals as requested; 7) Monday through Friday soup run to the streets; 8) New Hope Shelter; and 9) Emergency Disaster Services, as needed.