A former mayor and a smashed bottle of champagne will christen a new kitchen for the homeless at Grace Marketplace this weekend.
The city-owned homeless shelter, located at 3055 NE 28th Drive, will serve its first meal in the new kitchen during its second annual Day of Grace event, an open house and fundraiser with free food and live music.
Former Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan and former Alachua County Commissioner Rodney Long will lead the event and christen the new kitchen with the smashing of a champagne bottle. In 2005, the two were the driving forces behind a 10-year plan to alleviate homelessness in Gainesville.
"Here they are 10 years later, and we have this amazing campus here," said Randi Cameon, president of the Friends of Grace Marketplace. The nonprofit organization serves as the advertising and fundraising partner of the shelter and will host the event Saturday.
The kitchen will be named Cafe 131 in the spirit of an old city stipulation that prohibited soup kitchens from serving more than 130 meals per day. It will be dedicated to the late Pat Fitzpatrick, an outspoken activist for the homeless.
"Everyone above 130 should be fed," Cameon said. "That’s a really special aspect of it."
As of now, Grace Marketplace heavily relies on outside donations to feed its residents twice a day, said Theresa Lowe, executive director of the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry.
The new kitchen, which is installed with fryers, grills, stoves, ovens and a 40-gallon tilting kettle, will provide more stability and flexibility to the meal options, Lowe said. It has the capacity to feed 500 people.
"It’s the kind of equipment we need to prepare a great many meals every day," she said.
Donations will be accepted at the event, which will feature live music, tree planting, a free lunch and a tour of the facility. Local band Weeds of Eden will perform, and chef Bert Gill of Blue Gill Quality Foods restaurant will be cooking a meal in the new kitchen.
Lowe said it’s necessary for the community to come together to help the homeless.
"We want people to see that Grace is part of a bigger continuum of care," she said.
Contact Martin Vassolo at mvassolo@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @martindvassolo
