Watertown meal program ends Jefferson County funding arrangement

Community Meals at Emmanuel stopped accepting funding from Jefferson County on Nov. 1 and is now operating as a self-funded program, according to information released by the organization. The program continues to serve free meals Monday through Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Emmanuel Congregational Church, 119 South Hamilton Street in Watertown.

The county had provided $149,000 every six months. The money supported food purchases, staff costs and meals for people experiencing homelessness. Steph Russell, the program’s coordinator, said the funding requirements involved collecting data and completing paperwork that would reduce the time available to serve people. The program’s goal is to provide meals to everyone, rather than limit eligibility based on housing status.

Emmanuel Congregational Church was organized in 1885, and its current building was completed in 1913 and 1914. The church’s kitchen was approved in 2021 and opened in December 2022. Community dinners were later expanded to weekday meals, and the church has also operated as a warming center.

The program serves people in Jefferson County, where about 14,000 residents receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, according to a county SNAP update. Those benefits total roughly $2.5 million a month in the county.

Meals are scheduled to continue at 119 South Hamilton Street. More information about the church is available through the Emmanuel Congregational Church website.