Talbot House Ministries serves over 300 meals a day, every day of the week. Over the course of a year, the kitchen sees well over 100,000 meals prepared, cooked, and served to our hungry neighbors.
This morning, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners approved a $900,000 grant for Talbot House to complete a much-needed expansion of our kitchen and dining room.
Since the pandemic, the kitchen and dining areas have not been able to operate at full capacity because the rooms’ size and shape do not allow for proper social distancing. Also, increasing cleaning requirements and elevated demand for food pantry boxes has put additional pressure on our operations.
Our mission involves ending hunger and providing a safe environment for anyone in need. We are so excited to revamp our feeding spaces, which will allow Talbot House to accept new fresh food donations, feed more people in need, and accommodate additional volunteers while safely abiding by the CDC’s social distancing guidelines.
In addition to an expansion of approximately 1,400 square feet, the renovations include plans to increase freezer and pantry space. With these upgrades, we can safely accept additional food donations and welcome more volunteer groups like Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, who cook and serve chili once a month.
The pandemic may have put a wrench in our plans, but with God’s grace, Talbot House will start renovations in March 2021 to better serve our neighbors in need.
Thank you to the Polk County Board of County Commissioners, as well as Publix Super Markets Charities and the George Jenkins Foundation, for helping make this possible!