United Methodist Church Volunteers provide free dinners to the Joseph Community

By on Wednesday, March 19th, 2025 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

JOSEPH – A good meal goes a long way. For those that may be struggling, either mentally or financially, sitting down for a warm meal in a supportive space can make a world of difference. In 2024, the Joseph United Methodist Church set out to rectify both food insecurity and personal loneliness in their community with the launch of a weekly meal program. 

According to Joseph United Methodist Church Pastor Beth Estock, the meal program started as a two-pronged experiment in February 2024. At the time, the Surgeon General had released new information on the issues of chronic loneliness and isolation in the United States. Local nonprofits and social workers were also raising concerns about food insecurity in Wallowa County. As explained by Estock:

“We thought, since we as the church have a deep passion for issues of food justice, and we really enjoy fellowship, that we would try these free community dinners out.”

The church was thus designated a meal site by the local food bank, allowing them to purchase meat and produce at only seven and five cents a pound respectively from La Grande. In total, 23 sponsor organizations were brought onboard, each donating volunteers and money. Combined with local chefs from Across Wallowa County, the church was able to hit the ground running, serving 100 people per community meal. These were served as weekly dinners, with a different organization providing volunteers and sponsorship each week. By the end of the program’s initial run at the close of 2024, around 250 people were showing up to each dinner. As reflected by Estock:

“The beauty of it is that the entire community is welcome to show up. So there are people that we know where this meal is probably the best meal that they will eat all week, as well as folks who are leaders in the community. They sit side by side and develop relationships and conversations, and it’s really a beautiful thing to watch. There are no divisions at a Monday night community dinner. We’re just all sitting around tables, and we’re eating good food.”

After 13 successful dinners, the program took a hiatus, relaunching this February with a planned 11 Monday Night community meals for 2025. The meals themselves are prepared fresh by volunteer chefs and their assistance every Monday Night during each run and served at The Place, 301 S Lake St, Joseph. During the latest dinner on March 18, volunteers served 242 meals. Though not able to be declared a meal site by the food bank this year, donations from the church and local community ensure the program is still going strong.

The Joseph Community Meals program also inspired similar efforts in other Wallowa County Communities. Residents of Wallowa initially asked if the Joseph volunteers would be willing to host community meals in Wallowa on Tuesdays in conjunction with the Monday dinners. Instead, members of the Joseph United Methodist Church assisted in organizing a standalone Wallowa Community Dinner program which was then taken over by members of the Lostine Presbyterian Church. 

Regardless of the specific location, however, the program’s goal is ultimately to help feed the hungry and foster a sense of community and companionship for those that need it. As Estock put it best:

“It’s really magical to see people come in and sit at tables with people they don’t know and end up sitting with those folks for over an hour and eating good food. In this day and age, it gives me tremendous hope. At times it actually brings me to tears because it’s so beautiful.” 

Such a magical experience wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated support of local volunteers. Among those that help make it happen are head chefs Hillary Valentine and Craig Pesti-Strobel, who handle cooking, menu planning, and procurement, and chef recruitment, along with volunteer coordinator Valerie Giesbrecht

For any interested in the community meals, simply stop by The Place from 5–7 p.m. each Monday. No registration is required. For any other churches or community groups interested in organizing a local community meal program, the Joseph United Methodist Church team is happy to help get things started. Reach out at Office@JosephUMC.org or 1 541-432-3102.