Kitchen Fundraising Underway

Honoring the Past, Building for the Future

Dear Friends and Members of the Second Congregational Church, UCC,

We are excited to share some wonderful news about an important project happening right here at the church – a major renovation of our kitchen!  Thanks to generous donations given in loving memory of several of our former members, we have been able to begin a much-needed update to this well-used and well-oved space.  Donations have been made in memory of Jim & Carolyn Baker, John & Karen Ellis, Dave Porter and many members of our former Women’s Fellowship.

Our kitchen has been one of the most-used space in the church.  We have had many memorable events that have involved feeding and providing food for our church family and members of our community.  Who can forget the Boiled Dinners and being a part of Claude & Dolly White’s crew with people gathering to cut up vegetables with coffee and rolls and special treats from Lilo?! Were your Mothers, Grandmothers or you involved in all the dinners prepared for our local Kiwanis members each month; fried clam dinners; lobster roll lunches; Mother’s Day teas and fashion shows; the church suppers and all those coffee hours?!  We started our Free Community Suppers in April 2008 that continued through Covid with drive thru meals and now 16 years later is still going strong serving 100+ meals each month!

The kitchen is receiving a full makeover!  

New cabinets to improve storage and functionality

A poured floor for durability and safety

Upgraded electrical work to bring everything up to code

Redone plumbing to support our growing needs

New lighting and ceiling to brighten the space and make it more welcoming

New Electric stoves to replace the old Garland gas stove

This kitchen has served us well for countless meals, fundraisers, coffee hours, and fellowship gathering – and with these updates, it will be ready to serve many more years to come.  This project is not only about improving our facilities – it’s about honoring the memory of those who helped build our community and ensuring that future generations have a space to gather, serve and celebrate together. 

Utilizing the donations, we have received we have been able to remove the steep stairs that led up to the back hallway outside the sanctuary.  This has allowed us to install electrical work for new location of the refrigerator and created a closet upstairs for our bell choir equipment.  We have removed the wall between the kitchen and dining room and installed a solid wall with more outlets and we plan on putting new cabinets, pantry cupboards and counter space.  We have widened all doors leading into the kitchen to allow for handicapped access.  We have installed a wall by the stoves to block off the blower for the organ and installed 2 new electric stoves.  Electrical work has been completed for the wall around the sinks and dishwasher.  We have enlarged the “pass out” window on the ell side of the dining room and have installed the poured floor in the kitchen.  We have also installed a new breaker panel that ensures that we will no longer blow circuit breakers for the kitchen!  Thanks to help from church member we have handled all the demolition of things in the kitchen and everything listed above has been paid for as we have been moving forward with this project. 

Fundraising

Our donated funds are pretty much depleted. We are now at the fundraising stage so we can complete this project.  To help with covering the cost of plumbing work, cabinets, counter tops and more electrical work we have some fundraising activities being planned:

A Ticket Auction –seeking new and like new items to include

Breakfasts, Dinners and Bake Sales

Our unique “Adopt-a-Cabinet” campaign

Bruce Davison will be making some items from the salvaged wood from the kitchen that will be for sale as well.

We would love for you to get involved in completing meaningful project!  If you would like to help with one of our events, donate a prize, attend a meal, or “adopt” a cabinet, please reach out to us.  Every contribution – big or small- from you or in memory of someone you love who was involved in any of the activities that was created in our kitchen, helps us bring this vision to life. We hope you will consider supporting this project. With your help we can complete this project and continue all the work we do in our community.   Thank you for your continued love and support of the Second Congregational Church, UCC of Norway. 

 With Gratitude,

The Kitchen Renovation Committee:  

Deb & Keith Ladner, Linda Porter, Keith & Annie Tilsley, Brian Partridge, Pam & Bruce Davison, Randy Butters