The Community Kitchen received a surge of volunteers last week and will be further aided by a fundraiser held by the Bank of Colorado on Friday, Sept. 30. 

The Community Kitchen serves free lunch every Tuesday and free dinner every Thursday with the help of a dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom are retired community members. 

The kitchen was pleasantly surprised on Thursday, Sept. 22, when a group of 20 students and staff from the CNCC Cosmetology Program and Walmart came in to help prepare meals for community members. 

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The Community Kitchen is kept afloat due in large part to its generous volunteer base, as well as donations and contributions from the community. Local grocery stores donate excess products, and the pantry is stocked with canned goods from the Food Bank of the Rockies. 

Community fundraising plays a part in gathering the resources needed to support the community kitchen. In past years, the kitchen has held its Empty Bowl fundraiser as its only fundraising event. 

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However, this year, due to unforeseen circumstances, the Empty Bowl fundraiser will not be held. In lieu of the annual event, the Bank of Colorado is hosting a fundraiser for the Community Kitchen before the homecoming parade on Friday in its parking lot at 250 W. Victory Way. 

From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. the Bank of Colorado will host the fundraiser in tandem with a customer appreciation barbecue that will include free food for attendees.

The bank will be collecting monetary and canned food donations for the Community Kitchen. Donations will be accepted at the branch until Friday, and monetary donations will be matched up to $3,000 by the Bank of Colorado. 

The kitchen is open to any amount of time volunteers have to contribute, even if it’s as little as 15-20 minutes. While the kitchen has struggled to get more volunteers recently, the number of plates served at the weekly meals has increased steadily over the years. 

To volunteer for the Community Kitchen, or for more information on how to get involved, stop by St. Michaels at 678 School St. in Craig on Tuesday or Thursday.