Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

On a bright August morning, volunteers arrived at Franciscan Kitchen — some as early as 6:30 a.m. — and began baking and slicing pizzas, stirring large pots of boiling noodles, and pouring hundreds of glasses of lemonade.

By mid-morning, hungry individuals stood outside in a line that stretched a block down South Preston Street, waiting their turn in the kitchen’s food line.

Thanks to the help of hundreds of volunteers, Franciscan Kitchen, located at 748 South Preston St., has been feeding the hungry for more than four decades. Currently, they serve between 700 to 900 lunches daily.

“This place wouldn’t operate without volunteers,” said Chuck Mattingly, the kitchen’s executive director. “They do 95 percent of the work.”

Mattingly — who started as a volunteer 17 years ago — is one of four paid staff members.

The kitchen operates with a daily team of 20 to 30 volunteers from various backgrounds. They arrive as early as 6:30 a.m. to start preparing for the lunch rush, Mattingly said.

After serving lunch, they clean up and leave with smiles on their faces, according to Mattingly. Some volunteers also pick up food donations from restaurants and stores around town.

Mattingly refers to the kitchen as a “miracle on Preston Street” because what happens there every day feels like a miracle to him.

The volunteers become like family, he said. “They stick together.”

The typical volunteer serves at least one day a week and continues “until they can’t do it anymore,” he added.

Now, many are aging and the kitchen needs reinforcements.

The work is “very rewarding. It’s something you can’t put a dollar amount on, but you can feel it,” Mattingly said.

Mary Carol Kelly, a long-time volunteer, agreed.

“I get more out of it than I give,” Kelly said in a recent interview. The people she serves are grateful she noted. “We’re always thanked profusely.”

Kelly has been volunteering at the kitchen for ten years and is also vice president of its board of directors.

“I absolutely love it,” she said.

Her uncle Bud Bouchard volunteered as a cook for 17 years before his recent passing; he encouraged her to volunteer initially.

Once she did so, “I was pretty much hooked,” she said. Kelly serves one day a week chopping fruits and vegetables, preparing the steam table for serving meals, and cleaning up afterward.

Outside her duties in the kitchen itself, Kelly also wants others to know that volunteering at Franciscan Kitchen is rewarding.

“You’re serving a real need. You’re serving the most marginalized. You’re face-to-face with the person,” she stated.

Individuals interested in volunteering at Franciscan Kitchen are encouraged to visit franciscankitchen.org/contact-us or come in for an introductory tour or trial day.