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 The Friendly Kitchen is run by volunteers who plan the menus, prepare, cook and serve the food, and wash the dishes. Most food served is donated through food drives, area businesses, the NH Food Bank, the Capital Regional Food Program, the Community Action Program, the Local Harvest CSA, and from the volunteer serving groups.
Financial support comes from individuals, the faith and service communities, family and charitable trusts, and businesses. The Friendly Kitchen receives support from the United Way, matching gift programs, as well as remembrance and memorial gifts.
At the present time, The Friendly Kitchen serves an average of 75 people at the evening meal and an average of 43 people at breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays. Our records show that over the past five years, the number of people served has increased 53% and the number of meals served has increased 43%.
|
Year |
Guests Served |
Meals Served |
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2002 |
15,687 |
22,551 |
|
2003 |
20,161 |
28,313 |
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2004 |
23,354 |
30,079 |
|
2005 |
24,061 |
32,234 |
|
2006 |
27,157 |
39,918 |
|
2007 |
30,726 |
43,969 |
|
2008 |
30,671 |
49,440 |
|
2009 |
32,946 |
57,455 |
|
2010 |
38,556
|
45,581
|
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2011 |
36,619
|
44,735
|
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2012 |
48,795
|
57,606
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 While these statistics are useful, they do not tell the whole story. After moving into Hope House, we began opening our doors at 3PM so that guests could come early for coffee and companionship with others. We soon discovered that many of these people had not eaten all day, and were hungry. So we began putting out sandwiches and leftovers immediately to feed them.
Soon, we began serving breakfast on weekends, first on Saturdays and then on Sundays, and the numbers of breakfast guests have steadily increased to more than 40 each weekend this morning. In the winter of 2005, after discussions with the minister at the nearby First Congregational Church, we began serving breakfast on weekdays in order to feed the people staying overnight at the Church's homeless shelter. The Friendly Kitchen serves these breakfasts each winter during the cold weather. We also serve lunch Monday through Friday.
Today, The Friendly Kitchen serves over 50,000 meals yearly:
- Dinner from 5:00 to 6:00pm every evening
- Lunch from noon to 12:30pm Monday through Friday
- Breakfast from 8:00 to 9:00am Saturdays and Sundays year-round and daily breakfast December through March
We have every reason to believe that the needs of Concord's homeless community will only become greater in the coming years. The Friendly Kitchen will need additional help and support to continue carrying out our mission in the future.
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