The Norwich Community Kitchen in St. Bartholomew’s Parish Center serves free hot meals for the community every Tuesday, from September to around the end of May. Doors open at 4 p.m. and dinner is served at 5 p.m. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

NORWICH — The Norwich Community Kitchen in St. Bartholomew’s Parish Center, located at 81 East Main Street in Norwich, serves free hot meals for the community every Tuesday, with doors opening at 4 p.m. and dinner served at 5 p.m.

The weekly meals are open to anyone, both in the Chenango County community and outside areas. Visitors don't have to fill out any forms or answer any questions; simply walk in and enjoy a free meal.

Norwich Community Kitchen Spokesperson JoAnn Testani said the goal of the kitchen is to not only provide free meals, but also encourage community connection and socialization.

"It’s a special point to attend the weekly gathering, not only for the free meal but also for the conversation. It’s an important part of our community. It really brings people together, and we find that it’s a family-friendly type of atmosphere," she said. "Everyone in the community is welcome to attend."

The kitchen offers a different menu each week, usually including the main dish, a side, vegetables, a dessert, drinks, and yogurt donated by Chobani.

Some of the meals the Norwich Community Kitchen serves include chicken and biscuits, spaghetti and meatballs, beef stew, macaroni and cheese, hamburgers and fries, barbecue chicken sandwiches, and more.

"We don’t want to just serve a soup and a sandwich; we want to make sure they go home with a nice meal," said Testani.

Each week's menu is usually posted in community Facebook groups, such as Chenango County Community and Chenango County Scanner Nerds.

The Norwich Community Kitchen serves free meals from September to around the end of May each year. They follow the Norwich City School District calendar, serving dinner every Tuesday unless there is no school or a snow day.

The Norwich Community Kitchen is able to serve approximately 80 individuals each week, thanks to the generosity of the local community, who supports the free meals through donations.

"It’s through the generosity of our contributors and the community that we’re able to do this," said Testani. "We’re very very fortunate to have such a great community that we have so many people who support us."