Community Meal Sharing

This idea was shared with us from Cathleen Himes from Oakbrook Terrace, IL Corps! Thanks for sharing, Cathleen!

Here is a great idea to reach out to your community or connect with your Women’s Ministries groups. Do a meal exchange! On a small scale, try this with your neighbors.

This is done by cooking a meal for yourself and then cooking an additional meal (usually the same meal) for your neighbor on a selected night of the week. You would then coordinate the time for the exchange, leaving your food on their door step and picking up what your neighbor has cooked for you…waiting at a safe distance to thank them and to ensure your meal is retrieved before anything happens to it (wind blows it away; the dog gets it; Grandma next door gets hungry; etc.).

On a little bit broader scale, you can certainly do this with your Women’s Ministries groups. It’s easiest to pair up your members by family size or close proximity to where they live. However, you don’t have to. You would be surprised at how willing people are to go the extra mile – literally! We also suggest rotating so that you see or hear from everyone who is participating!

Don’t think you need to be Martha Stewart. Chances are, most people aren’t! Use simple recipes that can “feed an army”. For example:

Spaghetti and meatballs
Tacos
Chili
Lasagna
Pizza (homemade; frozen; $5 Little Caesar’s)
Shepherd’s Pie
Any type of pasta bake
Mac n Cheese with smoked sausage and broccoli

We’ve included some links to hundreds of simple, easy meal ideas to get help get you started:

SLOW COOKER
CASSEROLE 1  CASSEROLE 2
CHEAP AND EASY

Here are a few tips we would recommend to do this safely:

1. Work on a clean, sanitized surface and use clean utensils
2. Wash your hands before putting on gloves
3. Wear a face mask and gloves while cooking
4. Use disposable cookware and be sure to cover your dish securely
5. Include the recipe for your dish and reheating instructions
6. Check with the family with whom you are sharing for any food allergies, restrictions, or dislikes – especially for kids!
7. Communicate with your recipients the time/place to do the exchange. Be sure to watch from a safe distance until your meal is retrieved to thank your neighbor and to prevent anything from happening to it!
8. Include a note of encouragement with your meal!

God bless you as you share!