Area Church Shares Irish Cheer With Putnam Clubhouse

Press release from San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church:

March 22, 2021

San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church (SRVUMC) partnered with Putnam Clubhouse of Concord to deliver traditional Irish cuisine to seventy-five Putnam members. Eight drivers from the church brought a dinner of corned beef, roasted carrots and colcannon, an Irish mashed potato dish made with cabbage and green onions. The food was prepared in the Putnam kitchen, recently reopened after closure during the pandemic.

A church program called Meals With Grace coordinated the SRVUMC volunteers. Meals With Grace was developed last year to deliver donated restaurant meals to healthcare workers in gratitude for their front-line pandemic efforts. The program’s focus shifted to ensure nutrition for Putnam Clubhouse members when a church member learned about the kitchen closure there.

Normally, Putnam members who work in the center’s kitchen participate in all aspects of meal preparation, providing food for themselves, other members and some special events. For part of the past year, the kitchen was closed while Putnam members and staff were obliged to shelter in place, making food security a potential issue for some members during that time.

"Prepared meals from the kitchen seem to be the sweet spot, and Putnam is headed in that direction 100%," said Meals With Grace coordinator Bob Bailey of the Putnam Clubhouse kitchen’s recent reopening.

Putnam Clubhouse, part of the larger Contra Costa Clubhouses, Inc., supports adults recovering from mental illness through work, opportunities to socialize, and a range of health and wellness and arts programming. Participation by Putnam members is voluntary and at no cost to the member.

Plans are in the works for Meals With Grace volunteers to deliver meals on Good Friday, expected to be a large operation for the holiday.

This press release was produced by San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church. The views expressed here are the author's own.