Community Stuff Sunday

Ralph Bates, of Manchester, Heats Things Up at The Open Door

Julie LaFontaine writes-

Hi Joey,
I am excited to share some news with you and the GMG readers! The Open Door received a generous donation of $8.000 from Ralph Bates, of Manchester, to replace and and install a double-convection oven for the Community Meals kitchen. The oven is a Turbofan Convection oven that will speed up cooking times in the kitchen and make meal time more efficient.

This generous gift came at a time when the ovens that had served the kitchen for more than fifteen years finally gave out.
"Ralph Bates has a quick wit and a heart of gold," said Julie LaFontaine, "Through the years, he has shown up just when we needed him most."
Over the years Ralph Bates has also provided a commercial refrigerator and a gas range for The Open Door’s kitchen. More than 40 groups from the community use the kitchen each year between 15,000 and 18,000 meals are prepared in the kitchen each year to guests needing food and companionship.
Dressed in a Red Sox hat and jacket, Ralph Bates joked as he posed for his photo between Kenn Taber, the Community Meals manager, and Julie LaFontaine, executive director, but he was serious when he said, "It just makes me feel good to know I am helping others."

The mission of The Open Door is to alleviate the impact of hunger in our community. We use practical strategies to connect people to good food, to advocate on behalf of those in need, and to engage others in the work of building food security.

Pictured left to right: Kenn Taber, The Open Door Community Meals manager, Ralph Bates, of Manchester, Julie LaFontaine, The Open Door executive director

Julie LaFontaine