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Shreveport Church Gives Gift of New Kitchen Equipment
“What a blessing this is!” stated Mike Morse, Vice President for Hospitality at Montreat Conference Center. He was referring to the gift of $17,500 given to the Conference Center by First Presbyterian Church of Shreveport, La., for the purchase of new kitchen equipment at Assembly Inn. Two 6-burner Vulcan propane stoves with ovens, a 36-inch griddle with oven, and a new garbage disposal have replaced aging equipment that, as Morse explained, was becoming increasingly difficult and more costly to repair. “Finding replacement parts and technicians familiar with the obsolete appliances had become nearly impossible. Furthermore,” he continued, “since everything in our kitchen ran on electricity prior to this, power outages often brought us to a complete standstill.”
During the “high season” at the Conference Center (May – October), the Galax Dining Room in Assembly Inn serves three meals a day, seven days a week to 200-350 people, and that number is only slightly less in slower months. Over the course of an average year, the kitchen prepares anywhere from 420 to over 6,000 meals a week, plus several annual plated dinners as well as numerous receptions, banquets, and private parties. “To their credit, our kitchen staff has been incredibly resourceful in dealing with the limitations of antiquated equipment,” noted Conference Center president Pete Peery. “I know, however, that these new appliances are now making a huge difference in the efficiency and speed with which we are able to serve our guests.”
The grant, made possible through the D. Thomason Fund of First Presbyterian Church of Shreveport, was announced last fall. Peery, on behalf of Montreat Conference Center, will travel to Shreveport to accept the gift Sunday, February 28, 2010, during the church’s worship service. “Montreat certainly helps our church and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in many ways, so we’re always glad to help Montreat,” said Vernon Chance, chairman of the D. Thomason Grant Committee. The Shreveport church, which also gave a D. Thomason grant in 2008 that funded the purchase of an environmentally friendly electric vehicle, has a long-standing relationship with Montreat Conference Center. “This grant, by allowing us to purchase new, energy-efficient, reliable appliances for our kitchen, saves the Conference Center money, makes the kitchen staff more efficient, and overall, furthers our ministry of hospitality to the thousands of guests who come here each year,” said Peery. “We are deeply grateful.”
Montreat Conference Center is a national conference center serving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Annually, Montreat hosts approximately 40,000 people of all ages and walks of life for conferences and retreats, meetings and seminars, recreation, rest, and renewal.