For the owners of Country Kitchen, serving the community has always beenaboutmorethanputting food on a plate. For years, Country Kitchen has looked for ways to give back to the communities it serves. One of those efforts, Pies for Paws, was created to provide monthly donations to SOAR Kathy Germany’s nonprofit organization, helping animals in need.
Now, the restaurant is turning its attention toward another group that can sometimes need a helping hand, local students. After a summer dinner with three local teachers, a conversation about the needs of children in the community eventually became the foundation for Country Kitchen’s Student Meal Program.
The idea is simple: give students a place to go after school where they can get a hot, affordable meal, and give members of the community an opportunity to make sure another child gets one, too. The Kingston Student Menu is available Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m.
Meals are $5. Students can choose from several familiar favorites, including a hamburger or cheeseburger, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, grilled cheese, or a corn dog all served with fries and a small drink.
The program carries another option that reaches beyondthestudentorderingat the counter. A pay-it-forward meal can be purchased by customers who want to help provide a meal for another student.
That concept allows a customer to essentially buy twomeals,oneforthemselves or their family and another for a student who may need it. For Country Kitchen, the program grew from conversations with educators who see firsthand some of the challenges facing children in the community.
“The kids are enjoying having a place to go after school and get a meal,” the restaurant said.
The program is currently operating at the Kingston location at 304 Highway 70 E. The owners said they have not yet launched the program in Madill, although the possibility remains under consideration.
WithMadillschoolslocated farther from the restaurant, Country Kitchen officials are looking at whether students would realistically be able to get to the restaurant after school. While no decision has been made, the owners said they are still considering ways the program could potentially be brought to Madill.
For a small community restaurant, theStudentMeal Program represents another attempt to turn a successful business into a resource for the people around it. From helpinganimalsthroughPies for Paws to providing meals for local students, Country Kitchen is finding ways to make its kitchen about more than food. It is about community, and sometimes, helping a neighbor can start with something as simple as a $5 meal.