Free Meals at Cedar Falls Church Comes to End

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — A weekly free meal at a Cedar Falls church has come to an end after 31 years because no one has volunteered to replace its coordinator.

The First United Methodist Church served its last Community Meal Tuesday. Coordinator Becky Hardman had announced her retirement in June.

First United Methodist has hosted the weekly meal for the last 17 years.

Hardman says that about 200 people are fed each Tuesday, and that area churches provide volunteers and food for the meals on a rotating basis. The Northeast Iowa Food Bank provides baked goods for attendees to take home with them.

Representatives from area churches plan to meet in January to discuss if the program can be restarted.

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