Volunteers display some of the fresh produce and ingredients that will be used in the free weekly meal from Katie's Kitchen at St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church in Butler. The meals, which are accessed by the needy and homeless, are distributed from the church each Thursday.Pictured from the left are three missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Spencer Wade, Paxton Jones and Tyler Peterson; Barb Wick of Trinity Lutheran Church and a Katie's Kitchen committee member; Justine Brown, Katie's Kitchen manager; and Sandy Curry of Community Partnerships.

Justine Brown might manage Katie's Kitchen at St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church on West Jefferson Street, but she refuses to take all the credit for providing the needy with a weekly meal.

Brown said pandemic-friendly to-go meals are packed in hot and cold bags for anyone who shows up from 5 to 6 p.m. each Thursday at the church's front entrance.

Each diner receives one hot and one cold bag, utensils and a drink at the door.

“We serve from 70 to 100 meals each week,” Brown said. “At the height of COVID-19, we were serving 130.”

The nutritious and tasty meals, which include the fresh salad or produce Brown considers important, would be all but impossible if not for the generosity of local businesses and organizations that donate food items to Katie's Kitchen, Brown said.

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