Nothing says care and love like a hot, home-cooked meal. This is the central dogma of the Casserole Kitchen Ministries in Starkville. Casserole Kitchen Ministries is headed by chairmen Loren Zimmerman who coordinates all the Starkville churches’ involvement and scheduling of meal times during the week.
“This program started two and a half years ago by Gary Cummings who was a Mississippi native … who moved to New Jersey with his family and brought the casserole kitchen idea back with him when he saw the success of it,” Zimmerman said.
The casserole kitchen provides meals for needy individuals around Starkville three times a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays 11:30 to 12:00 p.m.
Not only is this organization facilitating the needy in Starkville, it is also providing a type of outreach from the churches involved.
“We witness by our actions and treatment of those less fortunate,” said Zimmerman.
The First Presbyterian Church of Starkville is the main host for this community service, but there are many other churches involved such as the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection and St. Joseph Catholic Church.
The program almost discontinued in early 2011 when some churches in Starkville left to pursue other ministries. However, new churches quickly replaced the vacant spots, seeing a need to contribute aid in their community.
Casseroles are served as part of the namesake of the goodwill service, but the program is not limited to just casserole dishes.
“The casserole kitchen came about from ease of preparation, and it might feed eight or nine people, but we also serve the great trinity of fried chicken, potatoes and green beans,”  Zimmerman said.
And feed they have, serving over 8,000 lunches and dinners just from First Presbyterian Church of Starkville alone, not counting take-home meals.
The best part of Casserole Kitchen Ministries is how accommodating the project is to everyone.
“We do not discriminate and we serve anybody in need,” Zimmerman said.
Serving is the biggest battle with only a handful to a half a dozen volunteers at the banquet halls.
Volunteer Young Kerby said, “It means the world to see a person or even a whole family say the food tastes good, and you can see their appreciation.”
Ryan Kiel, a MSU student working toward his master’s in landscape architecture, said, “It’s just fun being in the kitchen with the ladies while the food is being prepared.”
Both volunteers agree the sense of oneness is the real attraction and glamour of the job.
Want to get involved? The Wesley Foundation at Mississippi State University began a volunteer initiative in September to serve meals in the casserole kitchens across Starkville once a month. Other volunteers are in short supply and new ones are always needed, so pick up a serving spoon, don an apron, and scoop out a heaping helping of community service and support.
You can find more information by contacting Loren Zimmerman at 312-8403 or Julia Heard at 338-1855.