County funding helps church offer free lunch and nutrition education programs for city residents
Olivet United Methodist Church in Coatesville celebrated the opening of its new commercial kitchen, which will be used to offer free lunches and nutritional programs to Coatesville residents in need. Michael Givler, Olivet Church Food Ministry Outreach Team; State Representative Harry Lewis; Harvey Algard, Olivet Church Food Ministry Cook; Chester County Commissioner Michelle Kichline; Chief Jack Laufer, Coatesville Police Department; Rick Lewis, Foreman, Warfel Construction; Phoebe Kitson-Davis, Chester County Food Bank; Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone; Pat Bokovitz, Director Chester County Department of Community Development; James Newswanger, Olivet Church Council Chairman; United Methodist Church District Superintendent Dawn Taylor-Storm; Rev. David Davis, Pastor, Olivet United Methodist Church; and James White, Olivet Food Ministry Outreach Team.
COATESVILLE — Chester County Commissioners Kathi Cozzone and Michelle Kichline, together with staff, members and volunteers of Olivet United Methodist Church (UMC), community leaders and government representatives cut the ribbon on Olivet’s new kitchen this week. The kitchen, designed and built to commercial standards, allows the church to provide weekly free lunches for the residents of Coatesville.
In addition, the church will use the new facility to hold nutrition education programs for the community.
In his remarks to guests at the official opening, Michael Givler, Olivet’s Food Ministry Outreach Team coordinator, noted that the efforts of Olivet’s many volunteers, the funding and advice from Chester County’s Department of Community Development and Department of Health, and the coordination with the Chester County Food Bank, led to the opening of the kitchen and the future success of the free lunch and nutrition education program.
In their comments, Commissioner Cozzone and Commissioner Kichline thanked the many volunteers – cooks and servers – at Olivet UMC whose vision and dedication has created and sustained the free lunch program.
