On the fourth Saturday of every month, the smell of a home-cooked meal fills the air at First United Methodist Church (FUMC) in downtown Beaumont. From 5 - 7:30 p.m., volunteers gather at 701 Calder Ave. to serve not just food, but friendship and connection through the Kairos Kitchen ministry.
For nearly 20 years, Kairos Kitchen has been providing hot meals to anyone in need – whether they are experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, or simply seeking companionship. The program averages between 80 to 90 guests each month. But, according to FUMC Lead Pastor Jeremy Wester, Kairos Kitchen is about much more than filling stomachs.
“We pride ourselves in making this not just another handout, but about building relationships within our community,” Wester said. “It’s so important to shift our mentality from just serving a meal to sharing a meal. We don’t want to see ourselves as the ones with resources and our guests as the ones with needs. That’s a toxic way to think. Instead, we see them as friends we’re inviting into our home to share a meal together.”
Kairos Kitchen is preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary next year. Since its start, the program has been able to thrive thanks to ongoing support from the community, especially the Reaud Foundation, which has helped fund the ministry for nearly a decade.
Chef Charlie Snook, who spent decades leading kitchens locally, has been cooking for Kairos Kitchen for several years. The Sept. 27 dinner featured sloppy joe sandwiches with the fixings, corn on the cob, potato salad, and a variety of desserts for the choosing.
Snook works alongside a core kitchen crew of at least five dedicated members and a rotating group of 10 to 12 servers assisting with the meals. Many of the volunteers have been showing up every single month for years.
“We just open the doors and, whoever shows up, we make sure there’s enough food for everyone,” Wester said. “Our goal is to always have an abundance so that no one leaves hungry. It’s an important part of our program that this is never addressed as the haves and the have-nots – we are simply sharing with friends.”
About five months ago, FUMC expanded its outreach to include free Sunday morning breakfasts at 9:15 a.m., a mission also funded by the Reaud Foundation and open to anyone — no church attendance required.
“Some of our guests have even become volunteers themselves,” Wester shared. “That’s been one of the most beautiful parts of this ministry — seeing how these relationships grow and turn into familiar friendships.”
While the monthly gatherings are successful, FUMC hopes to grow Kairos Kitchen into an even more frequent event. To do that, they need more volunteers and community partnerships.
“We’re a smaller and older congregation,” Wester explained. “If other churches, organizations, or even businesses could commit to helping even once a year, it would allow us to serve more often and ensure we always have enough volunteers.”
Recently, Trinity United Methodist Church sent a team to help, which Wester said is exactly the kind of collaboration they hope to see continue.
“We want this to be a community-wide effort, not just something our church does alone,” he said. “This isn’t about growing our church numbers. It’s about sharing a meal and building relationships.”
As the dining room filled with nearly 50 guests Saturday evening, everyone from toddlers to the elderly appeared to be enjoying the meal as much as the fellowship offered at FUMC, with plenty of each to go around.
Anyone interested in volunteering or partnering with the ministry is encouraged to reach out to the church office or attend a meal to see the mission in action.
“We believe everyone deserves to feel at home and cared for,” Wester said. “This is about coming together as a community to love and support each other.”