Good News Kitchen helps to serve more community after grant

• Good News Kitchen in St. Johns has been serving free lunches to the community since 2022, recently securing a $10,000 grant to double their service starting Labor Day week.
• Volunteers like Tammy Wainright and Pastor Jim Pearl are committed to fighting hunger, with the kitchen currently providing 250 meals every Tuesday and planning to hopefully expand to 500 lunches weekly.
• For a closer look at how this organization is making a difference, check out the full video report.

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)

Fighting hunger has long been a passion for this organization. I'm your neighborhood reporter, Russell Shellberg, here at the Good News Kitchen in St. Johns, where the battle against hunger is about to take a giant leap forward.

This may look like a buffet, but when you zoom out, you get the full picture.

That 185 is the number of meals served by Good News Kitchen just an hour into their free lunch service, where Tammy Wainright has been spreading hope since joining a year ago.

"Cooking is my passion, so as much as I can cook and help people who are in need, I enjoy it so much," said Wainright.

That statement holds true, especially for residents like Gilbert Martinez, who has been getting lunches since they started in 2022.

"It's a great community, and for this to happen here, it doesn't surprise me because it's just the way this community is," said Martinez.

Neighbors weren’t surprised when the kitchen secured a $10,000 grant—now, they’re set to double lunch service starting Labor Day, bringing even more meals to those in need.

"It's a great blessing for us to be able to bless the community. And it just seems to keep growing," said Pastor Jim Pearl.

Pastor Jim Pearl told me that currently, the kitchen puts out around 250 meals every Tuesday. So when Thursday gets added to that schedule the kitchen could see 500 lunches weekly.

"We'll probably get there... It might take a little time, but that's not unrealistic."

The kitchen aims to reduce hunger in St. Johns and surrounding areas, and with the grant's support, that goal is now within reach.

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