Fredericksburg Food Ministry is an all-volunteer community-based food and hospitality ministry that provides residents of Fredericksburg and surrounding communities a so-called “cloth napkin” dining experience on the first Friday of each month, at fast food prices in pleasant, easily accessed surroundings.

We use the proceeds from our First Friday lunches, augmented by private donations, to prepare and deliver nutritious and delicious food to people throughout the community who are not able to get out due to illness and other circumstances. There is no charge for these home-delivered meals, and we carefully preserve the privacy of each individual to whom we deliver food.

We also use our proceeds and donations to fund two special events during the year: complete gourmet Christmas dinners that we prepare, package and deliver to the homes of people who are alone, home-bound or in need. Working with Hill Country Needs Council, we delivered 172 dinners during Christmas week in 2012. Each Easter, our "Bunny Brigade" dons three-foot-long rabbit ears and fluffy cotton tails to deliver 1,000 Easter boxes and bags filled with Easter candies and giant sugar cookies that we bake and decorate with the help of people from throughout the community.

What sets both our lunch events and home-delivered meals apart?

• our ability to accommodate special dietary needs such as gluten-free, vegetarian, and diabetic-friendly meals,
  
• our core commitment to using fresh and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible,
  
• generous portions, especially when it comes to providing high-quality protein in all our entrees,
• we make everything from scratch, and most of the foods we deliver are flash-frozen in vacuum-sealed packages, so people have the ability to eat on their schedule--not ours,
• all our food is prepared in licensed commercial kitchens by volunteer cooks who also are licensed and certified by state and county health departments,
• because we accept no government funding, we are able to choose from the widest possible array of ingredients to create meals that nourish and delight the senses, as well as feed the body.