'A mission to serve'
Loretta Bachman's faith was the focus of her life during 25 years of serving free meals.
“That's my main thing in life — love one another and help people — and that's what Katie's done,” said Bachman. “The Scriptures say, 'Feed the people.'”
Bachman plans to retire Thursday after five years as director of Katie's Kitchen, which is seeking new management.
“I prayed, and it's time,” she said about her new path that includes helping and spending time with her family.
The smell of chili mac and sound of clinking silverware floated around St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 201 W. Jefferson St., at Katie's Kitchen on Thursday, the weekday a free community meal is served from 5 to 6 p.m.
The meal is hosted jointly with Trinity Lutheran Church.
Bachman's journey started at a bus stop.
A friend whose mother helped at Katie's Kitchen asked what Bachman had planned now that all her children were in school.
Volunteering topped her list, Bachman said.
Her friend told her about a new community meal that needed servers, so Bachman joined the cause in 1994.Once a month, Bachman began to volunteer. When the first paid position for manager arrived, that is when she began cooking.“I come from a very big family,” she said. “My mom had 12 brothers and sisters. We cook big.”When the position for manager opened, Bachman applied and has been in the position for five years.“It's never been a job for me,” she said. “It's been a mission for me to serve God and my community.”Over the years, volunteers have been faithful and wonderful, she said.The meal is open to anyone who wants to eat and socialize, she said. Attendees include people in need, the elderly, children, teens and adults.“Our doors are open to anyone,” she said.
Last September, Katie's Kitchen marked 24 years of serving the community.From Oct. 5, 2017, to Oct. 4, 2018, Katie's Kitchen served 420 children and 5,410 adults for 5,830 meals, Bachman said.Based on donations during 2018, only $4,228 was spent by Katie's Kitchen, which equals 74 cents a meal, she said.Katie's Kitchen now funds itself through donations, while various churches host the community meal.Food comes from community donations and the Butler Farm Market, Panera Bread, AmeriCold and Hunters Sharing the Harvest.Bachman's husband, Randy, her five children, and even some of her four grandchildren help at the community meal, she said.“I think our town's a wonderful town, a wonderful community and wonderful church community and they all work together,” she said.The kitchen is known for its home cooking, she said.“All the people that cook, it's a mission for them,” she said. “We put our love for God into cooking and serving people.”Bachman said Katie's Kitchen is looking for a new manager.
“I would like to see someone who's not here for a paycheck or job, but someone that loves God and wants to have a mission like mine — a mission to serve people and food through God,” she said.Volunteers said her leadership will be missed.Bachman can make a meal out of anything, said Raylene Jindra, who has volunteered since Katie's Kitchen opened.“She's a good Christian person,” Jindra said. “It's a job of love.”Bachman reminds 20-year volunteer Barb Goeppner of Butler of her daughter.“It's just like family,” Goeppner said about the atmosphere at Katie's Kitchen.Goeppner said the next leader should be a caring person like Bachman, who bought a woman a pair of shoes when she came to the kitchen without a pair.Bachman said she wanted to thank the volunteers and people who support the meal.“I'm going to miss them,” she said. “Katie's has been a joy.”
Katie's Kitchen, a free community mealWHEN: 5 to 6 p.m. every ThursdayWHERE: St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 201 W. Jefferson St.HOST: St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church jointly with Trinity Lutheran ChurchOTHER HELPERS: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicora, Rider Lutheran Church in West Sunbury, St. John's Reformed Church, Community Alliance Church, St. Luke's Lutheran Church and school, DH Construction, American Legion Auxiliary Post 778, St. Mark's youth group, Girl Scout Troop 21945, St. Peter Roman Catholic Church, Butler Hoagie Shop and People Natural Gas.Community Annual Yard SaleWHEN: 9 a.m. Sept. 4WHERE: Spectrum Insurance, 248 New Castle RoadPROCEEDS: Benefits Katie's KitchenTO DONATE: Drop items off from Sept. 1 to 5 at Spectrum Insurance, 248 New Castle Road. No clothing.
To donate goods to Katie's Kitchen, call St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church at 724-287-6741.If you have a deer you want to donate that will benefit community meals and food pantries, call Tom Rossman, the Hunters Sharing the Harvest Butler County area coordinator, at 724-283-0440.
Katie's Kitchen is in need of cooks and a manager.If you are interested in becoming a cook or manager, call St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church at 724-287-6741, call Trinity Lutheran Church at 724-287-1977 or call Katie's Kitchen President Barry Flecken at 724-285-4182.
