Mondovi Sharing Table slated to host first free community meal Feb. 4

by Beth Kraft

Taking a cue from a few other area communities that offer regular, free meals to the public—no questions asked—several local individuals and groups recently teamed up to pilot a monthly meal.

Known as the Mondovi Sharing Table, the first official community meal is slated to take place at Central Lutheran Church next Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 5-6:30 p.m. The Mondovi Area Food Pantry is sponsoring the cost of this month’s meal.

Gary Preston, director of the Mondovi Area Food Pantry, says the idea for the Sharing Table has been in the works for about a year. Members of the food pantry board, Central Lutheran reps and Preston all visited three other food pantries to generate ideas. A monthly community meal in place in Pepin sparked their interest.

After sitting in on Pepin’s meal, Preston says the group began to draw support from others to bring a similar service to Mondovi. An initial meal was held in October to test-drive the concept, but the event was advertised on a limited basis to allow organizers to get a feel for what a full-blown community meal might be like.

“It was really kind of low-key, just kind of a trial run, and that went well for the first one,” Preston said.

Eighteen volunteers helped serve 26 people at that first meal. Preston says he’s hoping to see between 50 and 75 people grab a seat at next week’s Sharing Table event.

Central Lutheran’s youth group members will pitch in with serving duties prior to confirmation activities. Meal options are likely to vary from month to month with the food prepared by local residents Robin and Julie Brunsch with assistance from other Central Lutheran members.

Preston said hosting the meals on Friday nights was initially suggested in part because the senior meals program does not operate on Fridays, but the group felt it might be more difficult to obtain volunteer help. Instead, he hopes to see Sharing Table meals scheduled on the first Wednesday of each month except for November and December when holiday activities might make planning more difficult.

“It’ll be trial-and-error, for sure,” said Preston. “We’ll probably have to make some adjustments.”

Given the success of community meals in other cities, such as the daily Community Table meals in Eau Claire and the weekly Thursday’s Table in Menomonie, Preston says it will be interesting to gauge how much a similar effort is needed and received in Mondovi.

“We thought, unless you try it, you really don’t know,” he said. “Who knows what it will turn into? Pepin didn’t know either until they tried.”

Central Lutheran was chosen as the site for the free monthly meals for one major reason.

“For one thing it’s one of the churches in the area that is easily accessible—there are no steps,” Preston pointed out.

As a member of Central Lutheran himself, Preston says he and Pastor Rolf Morck both agreed offering the monthly meal would be a great way to bring members of the area community together regardless of their backgrounds.

He emphasized that the Sharing Table is completely free and open to all. It isn’t affiliated with any one church, and attendees don’t have to be church members, prove income eligibility, or feel obligated to make a free-will donation to come enjoy the dinner.

While there’s likely no precedent for a free meal offering like the Sharing Table in Mondovi, Preston remembers when Central hosted hotdish suppers on Friday nights over 50 years ago—a popular event.

The food pantry is sponsoring the Sharing Table’s meal next week, but the group plans to find a new sponsor for each month’s meal going forward. A few sponsors, which can be either businesses or individuals, have stepped forward already to volunteer a $250 donation to cover the cost of future meals at Central, but Preston says more sponsors will be needed.