People’s Kitchen
About the South County People’s Kitchen
The South County People’s Kitchen started serving meals in May of 1991. For over 18 years teams of volunteers from throughout the 5-Cities area have given of themselves by making and serving food every day of the year including Thanksgiving and Christmas. With 35 different teams, representing 18 local churches as well as a team from Arroyo Grande Hospital and the Santa Maria Rescue Mission, over 300 volunteers are actively involved each month.
The population served is diverse. They are each someone’s brother or sister, Mother or Father, Aunt or Uncle. They are all food-challenged with some being homeless while others are not. Some are referred to as the “working poor” – they have a job but they can’t afford a place to live. Some struggle with alcohol and/or drug addiction. Some are in rehab programs and are clean and sober.
There are also retirees on pensions who are sometimes caring for grandchildren and single moms, all of whom are just scraping by. Some are the mentally unstable and mentally challenged, the physically handicapped and families in which one or both parents have recently lost their jobs. During school vacations and weekends, there are school-aged children who are served. A large majority of the people fed were born and raised in this area and often know people on the teams who are serving them. Although this worthwhile grass-roots effort has helped thousands, more is needed.
Over the years the People’s Kitchen has had to shift locations several times, causing undue disruption in the flow of the much needed service it provides. As it’s vision is realized, the 5Cities Homeless Coalition will help by providing a permanent location for the People’s Kitchen to call home.
The following churches in the Five-Cities Area and Nipomo contribute to People’s Kitchen by providing serving teams: New Life/Pismo Beach, First United Methodist/Arroyo Grande, Nipomo Presbyterian, St. Barnabas Episcopal/Arroyo Grande, Oak Park Christian/Arroyo Grande, Grace Bible Church/Arroyo Grande, St. John’s Lutheran/Arroyo Grande, Church of God Prophecy/Oceano, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church/Arroyo Grande, First Presbyterian/Grover Beach, King’s Way/Arroyo Grande, Calvary Chapel/Arroyo Grande, Peace Lutheran/Arroyo Grande, 5 Cities Vineyard, St. Paul’s Catholic Church/Pismo Beach and New Hope Foursquare Church/Arroyo Grande.
Grover Beach Assembly of God and Shouts of Grace have provided space for People’s Kitchen.
These churches contribute financially: First Church Christian Scientist, Harvest Bible.
The following organizations and businesses contribute financially: Pismo Coast Realtors, Rotary, Pismo Beach, South County Seniors Inc, United Way, Nan’s Books, Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and Central Coast Rescue Mission.