Everything’s coming up daisies at Grace Diner, preparing to celebrate their eighth anniversary on Monday, September 18th! Volunteer Maeve Giza celebrated the diner by baking some floral frosted cupcakes, and Church Liason Marina Tidwell noted that dessert donations are much sought after and always welcome.
Grace Diner has been a special service project supported by Grace Lutheran Church and volunteers in the community. Lisa Skelley, one of the leading lights behind the project, offers the center of their success. “One of our clients said to me, ‘of course the food is great, but what I really come for is the company.’” Grace Diner currently serves about a hundred meals on Monday nights, to the folks in our community who hunger for a place to socialize in addition to getting fed.
Skelly has been involved with the project since it’s inception in 2009, created by Ken Smith. The radical 
shift in the economy that left many people unexpectedly in need gave then the idea of opening a once-a-week feast that would be more than just a plate of food. “It’s part of our mission that we serve like a restaurant, we always have three courses, and our clients are waited on by our volunteer servers.”
As the church’s kitchen, refurbished in 2014, buzzed with meal prep and serves popping in and out with trays, the scent of Italian spices warmed the hallway. The menu was spaghetti and meatballs; dishes run on a six week rotation so the diners known what to expect.
After all these years, it’s still a bit of a scrape to get dessert together, as daisy cupcakes disappear quickly.
To offer donations, contact [email protected]
Also, Ken Smith spearheaded creation of Grace Diner 8 years ago.