Every month, the Milford Mennonite Church extends an open invitation for anyone who is interested to come together for a free meal in an event called “The Gathering Table.”
Gathering Table committee member Mel Stutzman, who has been part of the Milford Mennonite Church all of her life, said the event’s mission is to provide a place for people to gather, enhance relationships and share a homemade meal together.
The tradition was founded in February of 2018 by three cousins – Kristina Yeackley, Anika Upton and Camille Wanetka – who wanted to create a new, positive way to enhance relationships in the town. The congregation was on board with the idea, and MMC hosted its first meal with just 30 guests.
Now, the meal averages 115 attendees and has a record number of 152.
Stutzman said she wants everyone to know that all people are welcome at the meal regardless of religion, income or demographic.
Pat Grimes, who has been attending the meals for a couple years, said she is always happy she gets to meet a variety of attendees including people who are older, younger, members of varying churches and residents from surrounding towns.
“I go to the United Methodist Church,” she said. “There’s a lot of people that come from other churches, and that’s one of the things that’s nice about it.”
Grimes said she loves that it gives her an opportunity to socialize with people in the area that, as a retiree, she may not typically see anymore.
“They always have a wonderful meal, but then it’s always fun and interesting to see all the people that are there and visit with them,” she said.
Stutzman said one of her favorite parts of hosting the event is working with the Gathering Table committee members.
“We all love to cook, and we really just enjoy coming together, building relationships with one another and doing something that we love and being able to serve the community,” she said.
Stutzman said the meal is a team effort, and church members often pitch in to help serve and provide desserts. She encourages anyone who is interested in helping host and/or serve to contact a Gathering Table committee member.
Milford Mennonite Church hosts the meals on the second Thursday of every month from 5:30 – 7 p.m.
In celebration of the holiday season, The Gathering Table will serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, Nov. 9, which Stutzman said will be extra special. A traditional Christmas meal will be held the following month.
