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Memorial Gift Spurs Rebirth of Feeding Ministry at St. Peter’s, Westfield

At St. Peter’s, Westfield, the generous donation of a new refrigerator has jump-started a renovation of the parish’s commercial kitchen — the first since the Truman administration — and a once-dormant feeding ministry.

Wardens Marybelle Beigh and Joe Zakrajsek in the kitchen on Shrove Tuesday. Zakrajsek supervised the parish’s kitchen renovation project.

After the death of Margaret Beckman, a longtime parish member, her sons asked the Rev. Deacon Pat Guinn to suggest a gift they could make in their mother’s memory. “We needed a new refrigerator,” Guinn said. “Ours could no longer be repaired.”

Once the Beckman’s gift was in place, the congregation, led by Deanna Scharf and Janice Gaither, began thinking about reviving its former meal program. That hope spurred the kitchen renovation, which included a freezer, new cabinets, flooring, and additional appliances, all made possible by other gifts including funds given by another late parishioner, Daniel Millet.

Warden Marybelle Beigh in the kitchen on Shrove Tuesday

“Put it all together and you get a dream,” Guinn said. “The biggest thing has been seeing the enthusiasm and excitement for the project within the congregation. People have dedicated thirty hours a week or more to overseeing the renovation efforts.”

When Guinn began her ministry at St. Peter’s in 2022, Sunday morning attendance was about seven. That number has now doubled. The food ministry and a growing awareness of food and housing insecurity in Chautauqua County, she said, “has brought the congregation alive again.”

The congregation plans to host its first dinner from the new kitchen next month.