Tonight' Dinner Smells Good

Good smells are wafting through the building as tonight's dinner for MCSA residents heats up.

In a typical month, MCSA staff members serve about 400 meals -- all of which have been donated. Today, any of the 45 residents in MCSA's Overnight/Emergency Shelter, Family and Transitional Shelter or Men's Dorm who are in the building at 5 p.m. can eat barbecue sandwiches and fried potatoes for dinner if they want them.

The potatoes were prepared by the folks at Guy and a Grill and donated by the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The meat was donated and frozen until it was needed today.

Donating food is a way many caterers, service clubs such as Rotary and Kiwanis and other organizations help MCSA. Restaurants -- including Pizza Ranch and Elly's Tea & Coffee House -- also donate many of their leftovers to MCSA. We're grateful for the generosity they show through their donations.

Staff members at MCSA have developed a system for labeling donated food, serving it within a few days, giving it to another organization such as Pearl City Outreach or freezing it for later use. Most of this work is done by staff members Beth Lester and Russell Kulp, but everyone else pitches in when extra help is needed.

Because of the number of meals served at MCSA, we are also usually in need of donated paper plates and bowls, dish soap, storage containers, Ziplock bags and related items.

If donating food or other items associated with serving meals is a way you would like to help MCSA, please call Beth at 563-264-3278 or send her an email at blester@mcsaiowa.org.