Free Community Catfish Fry Coming To Kalamazoo

Community sponsors are teaming up to sponsor a free Community Catfish Fry, which will take place at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo Thursday, February 10th.

God’s Kitchen of Michigan is hosting the event, which will take place from 5-6 PM, and is pulling out all stops in providing a dinner menu that can’t be beaten. The free meal includes fried catfish and chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, a veggie dish, dessert, and bottled water.

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The free event was originally scheduled for 2020; however pandemic restrictions, issued through Governor Whitmer’s executive orders, put a halt to the dinner. "God's Kitchen of Michigan is pleased to fulfill this promise that we initiated in 2020," said Pastor William Stein, chairman of the hunger-relief agency. "As we celebrate our 11-year anniversary, God's Kitchen invites any hungry citizens, regardless of income, to join us for a hot meal at the Radisson Plaza Hotel."

God’s Kitchen has plenty of support from the community. Sponsors include Seelye Auto Group, IBEW Local 131, the John Fetzer Institute, Walmart, Radisson Plaza Hotel, and the Broncos Kitchen Foundation.

A total of 300 fried catfish and chicken dinners will be given away to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis, and there are no income or identification requirements to participate at the Community Catfish Fry. All you need to do is show up, grab a carryout container of food, and enjoy the meal wherever you choose to consume it. The only restrictions are COVID-19 protocols that will be strictly enforced. No one will be allowed to enter the ballroom without a face mask, and there is a limit of one dinner per person.

God's Kitchen of Michigan is a private, nonprofit hunger-relief corporation. The charity was incorporated on January 20, 2011, and served its first dinner on October 11 of the same year at First Baptist Church in Battle Creek, Michigan. In 2017, the agency opened a second location at First Baptist Church in Kalamazoo. Today, it continues to serve at various locations in Kalamazoo and recently opened a new meal site at Chapel Hill Church in Portage.