Fareground Launches Free Friday Community Night Dinners For Those In Need

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“We are committed to getting nourishing food to our neighbors,” Fareground said, when they announced their new Friday Night dinner, hosted for free for the community for those in need from 5:30-7:30pm at the First Presbyterian Church at 50 Liberty Street, after the years long Beacon Community Kitchen announced their closure.

This is a collaboration between Fareground, First Presbyterian Church, Katrina Ross and Songbird. Their first dinner was prepared by Meyers Olde Dutch Beacon while the new collaboration got their kitchen up and running.

“Thank you to Candi Rivera for the support and to everyone at Beacon Community Kitchen for all the delicious and nourishing meals you have provided our community for so many years,” Fareground said.

How To Donate:

New Free Breakfast Program Launches After Closure Of Tabernacle Church Location

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While the closure of the Beacon Community Kitchen as an entity was sudden for most, some people knew it was coming during the two weeks of the closed door, and began organizing to figure out new ways to feed the community in need.

Justice McCray presents to City Council about the new Free Breakfast Program from Beacon’s Backyard.

Justice McCray, a co-founder of Beacon4BlackLives and former City Councilmember, had been working with their network to create a new offering. They announced during Tuesday’s 1/21/2025 meeting that a new free breakfast program had started: “Recently The Beacon Community Kitchen closed and they were one of the only food justice organizations in the City of Beacon that was serving prepared meals,” they said.

“While we do have other food justice organizations that do offer food in Beacon, a nonprofit that I've recently become a part of - Beacon’s Backyard - is working to bridge that gap. We are starting a free breakfast program starting next week.” The program runs from 6:30-8:30am continuously on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 12 Hanna Lane beginning Tuesday, January 28th. “Anyone is welcome to come in and dine in for breakfast or take out and it's free. We just want to make sure that people in this community are fed and have what they need,” Justice concluded.

The volunteering people who made up the Beacon Community Kitchen seem to be remaining active in their roles in new ventures. While the Beacon Community Kitchen as an entity may have dissolved, at least two new initiatives have grown from it: The Free Breakfast Program from Beacon’s Backyard at 12 Hanna Lane, and the new soup kitchen from Fareground at the First Presbyterian Church at 50 Liberty Street. Volunteers will be at both.

The Beacon Community Kitchen announced their change on their Instagram: “As there’s a transition from Beacon Community Kitchen which has recently closed, please follow us as we continue to feed our neighbors under a new nonprofit dedicated to providing food and resources for our community. We will update and share with you in the days to come. Thanks for your support of BCK and we look forward to your support and love in the future of Beacon’s Backyard. We are thankful to Candi Rivera for her service and for starting BCK and In Care of Multi Services.”

The Instagram of the Beacon Community Kitchen will be renamed to Beacon’s Backyard Kitchen. Opportunities to donate food and volunteer time will be posted, and one can email BeaconsBackyard@gmail.com with inquiries.

Beacon Community Kitchen Closes - Soup Kitchen Leaves Tabernacle Church of Christ On Main Street

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The Beacon Community Kitchen that operated out of the Tabernacle Church of Christ at 483 Main Street in Beacon has closed as of January 8th, 2025, as first reported by Joe who ate from the community kitchen often. Beacon4Black Lives co-founder and former Councilmember Justice McCray also confirmed the closure during this week’s City Council meeting when they announced a new hot meal breakfast being served starting January 28th from Beacon’s Backyard, a partnership with The Yard at 4 Hanna Lane.

The soup kitchen operated separately from the church as its own nonprofit entity called In Care Of Multi-Services. Yesterday, the Beacon Community Kitchen’s manager, Candi Rivera, made her official announcement about the kitchen’s closure:

To All of our Friends, Family and Community at large who were always here reading and enjoying our post I want to say Thank You. As most of you perhaps know on Jan 8, 2025 closed it’s BCK doors. Many things influenced the decision which was certainly not an easy one to make.

I am grateful for the trust you placed in In Care Of Multi-Services, to manage the funds and provisions given to us in service to the Beacon Community through The Beacon Community Kitchen. The Volunteers, many who are residents of Beacon, served w love, diligence and dedication. Gave of their time, money and talent’s freely and without hesitation. We were a Family. A true Blessing.💕🙏🏼

Several individuals from the community volunteered to prepare and serve food, and several businesses donated food, as recently reported by ALBB during Thanksgiving time.

In her statement, Candi announced another soup kitchen opening: “A partnership has been established between Fareground and First Presbyterian Church Beacon to continue providing meal. Their first run will be Friday Jan 31st for dinner. It also pleases me to announce that mostly all the volunteer w BCK will be joining their Team. Please stay tuned for more on this.”

First Presbyterian Church is located at 50 Liberty Street, which is across the Fishkill Creek.

An interview with Candi will be published in the Beacon Free Press by Kristine Coulter.

Beacon Community Kitchen Seeks Turkeys and Ham; Members Of Community Donate All Year

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Days before this year’s Thanksgiving, the Beacon Community Kitchen, currently located in the Tabernacle Church of Christ at 483 Main Street (the intersection of Main Street and Church Street), put a call out for turkeys and ham for the holiday: “We are in need of turkeys and ham for our holiday meals. We are usually overwhelmed with the amount that we get but this year we have not received any. Spread the word and love.”

Beacon Community Kitchen serves one hot meal to go on Mondays - Thursdays. After this call was made, some turkeys were donated by people in the community, but more may be needed:

“Today we had a generous donation from Tom Kenny who brought us two fresh turkeys for our Guests. Thank you Tom for your generosity. We also want to thank Tina Finkelsten for her generosity. She brought down a turkey and a five pound bag of potatoes. Thank you for thinking of us!!”

Community member JOe (seated) eats a meal with Beacon Community Kitchen. Joe has lived in various locations in the woods of Beacon.

Candi Rivera, spokesperson for the Beacon Community Kitchen, continued to describe what was cooked that day: “Tuesday lunch: [Chef] Joe had to improvise. He rallied through nicely!! He made gnocchi creamy vodka sauce over oven warmed baguette and a fresh green baby kale salad to accompany the meal. Thank you Joe, Janice, Anna, Peggy and Tina.”

Beacon Community Kitchen accepts ingredients for dishes all year round.

On A Monday - In April

As Giving Tuesday approaches (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday holiday consumption), Beacon Community Kitchen celebrated any day a person or business donates food for them to cook. Like this day in April.

Owner Beth George of Bagel-ish Donates bagels on any given day.

In April 2024, Candi reflected: “Most people celebrate Giving Tuesday. Well today (Monday), we celebrate the generosity of many who came forward to donate back.”

Candi listed a few donations in a post at Facebook:

MAX’s of BEACON
“Peggy picked up at Max’s with the assistance of her friend Noah who helped with his truck. We received chicken breast, burgers, salad stuff, cream cheese, French Fries, cod, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, baking powder, corn starch, liquid smoke and more. We can’t thank you enough for consideration.”

PUSH TRANSPORTATION: and their Proprietor’s
“Joe Simmons and Shamikah Jones for their generosity and donation of boxes and boxes of guacamole, tossed salads and sugar snap peas. Thanks for your support and generosity in thinking of us. We also extend special thanks to Elmer Arroyo for his assistance today.”

EGGBERT’S FREE RANGE FARM
“[Farmer Carrie and her brother Tom] surprised us also and bought a case of pork products which included: pork jowls, ham hocks, and more……”

BEACON NATURAL MARKET of BEACON:
“Picked up and delivered by our own TROOPER PEGGY B!! We received spring mix, Dijon mustard, Swiss chard, yogurt, assorted cookies and teas.”

Candi concluded: “Talk about Acts of Kindness! Beacon is it!! We’re so blessed to have the support of sooooooo many kind and loving individuals with great big hearts. We can’t thank you enough for all you do, in one way or another, that keep us serving for 8 years strong.”

To donate money or coordinate food delivery, email or call: incareof.beacon@gmail.com (845) 728-8196.