Trinity Lutheran Church volunteers serve complimentary meals to community members as part of the church’s mission to fight food insecurity. Photo by John Worthington | The Reporter.
Church has served a record 5,925 meals in 2025
Every Monday evening, the Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale conducts an extraordinary undertaking to address food insecurity in the community.
Across the church’s vast gymnasium, volunteers can be seen cooking and preparing dozens of hot meals, sorting and placing hundreds of pounds of food and standing ready for the night’s events.
As the clock strikes 5 p.m., community members flood into the building, hungry for a warm meal, fresh groceries and social connection.
The event is the church’s Feast Community Meal, which provides weekly complimentary dinners and groceries to local residents.
“There are no questions asked. No one has to show any form of identification,” said Pastor Fritz Fowler. “If you need [food], you just need to come here and get in line.”
On one side of the gymnasium, volunteers prepare and serve the dinners. Guests are entitled to two meals, which can be eaten at the church or taken to go. The menu changes weekly but always contains a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, vegetables and desserts.
“And we try to serve it with as much dignity as possible, with real silverware and real china,” said Fowler. “Some of these folks maybe can’t afford to go out to eat at a restaurant, and this is the closest that they have to being able to eat out with respect and dignity.”
On the other side of the room sits the church’s extensive food pantry, comprised of a long line of tables stocked with hundreds of pounds of essential groceries, including bread, eggs, fruits, vegetables, meats, bagels and a salad bar.
“Guests bring reusable bags, and they leave with bags full of food,” said Victoria McKelvie, the church’s director of communications.
Trinity Lutheran Church Pastor Fritz Fowler and Director of Communications Victoria McKelvie pose for a picture.A lifeline
The Feast Meal launched in 2008 for church members before becoming universal in 2010. The Food Pantry was added in 2021. Donations come primarily from local grocery stores and food vendors, including Wegmans, The Grocery Outlet and Manhattan Bagel.
“We have volunteers who drive around and collect the food from our partners,” said Fowler. “And if we have any leftover food, we pass it onto the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Souderton who does the same thing on Tuesday.”
The church currently serves between 100 and 130 meals per week to roughly 100 community members. To date, volunteers have served a record 5,925 meals this year, surpassing the 5000th meal in late August, well ahead of the previous year. The figures underscore the rising need in the community, said Fowler.
“With some of the decisions that have been made by our politicians and legislators, we are seeing an increase in housing and food insecurity in our community,” said Fowler. “There’s a bigger need now than ever before.”
John and JoJo Booth, father and daughter, have attended the event for two years. They describe the meals as a lifeline for their family after being financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is a big help in our life,” said John Booth. “It’s really valuable for people who are having a hard time. We’re so grateful for this.”
“The guests are so appreciative,” added volunteer Heidi Pickens. “They tell us that this is the first meal they’ve had all week. It’s very rewarding.”
John and JoJo Booth, father and daughter, have been attending the dinners for two years.
In addition to addressing food insecurity, the Feast Community Meal also provides social interaction and camaraderie.Social interaction
In addition to addressing food insecurity, the meals provide guests with a key source of social interaction and camaraderie.
“A lot of people are lonely,” said volunteer Carol Reitz. “They are hungry for more than just the food; they’re hungry for that social interaction, that feeling that people care about them.”
The Booths echoed Reitz’s sentiments, having met and befriended people outside of their typical social environment.
“I get to socialize with other people outside of my school,” said JoJo Booth. “I get to meet different people who are a little bit older, which is nice.”
“And our volunteers also make relationships with people,” added McKelvie. “They are very concerned about them.”
Looking ahead, Trinity Lutheran Church aims to continue the Feast Community Meal as part of its mission to fight local food insecurity. The church stresses that everyone, congregants and non-congregants, is welcome.
“We’re a Reconciling in Christ Church, which means we’re all welcoming,” said McKelvie. “No matter your sexual orientation, your racial identity; all are welcome.”
The Trinity Lutheran Church’s Feast Community Meal is held on Mondays from 5 to 6 p.m. For more information, visit trinitylansdale.com.
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