“The community definitely showed up for this meal,” said Kurt Vavricek, with Lisbon Fareway as he was manning the grill in downtown Lisbon Thursday, June 18.

Lisbon Fareway was manning the grill for this night of Community Eats, the monthly meal program offered to the community by Southeast Linn Community Center.

“The goal of these meals is to bring the community together,” said director Nicole McAlexander. “That’s why we don’t collect a free-will donation with these meals.”

With SELCC’s weekly lunch programs ongoing at area churches and SELCC, Lisbon Fareway manning the grill was also something that volunteer coordinator Molly Cart-Hansen approached the store about doing.

“It was a relief to our volunteers to not have to be cooking two meals in the same day,” McAlexander said.

“We love partnering with this community,” Vavricek said. “Especially for events like this.”

Especially when that meal set a new record – nearly 300 meals served in the span of two hours. Menu included a choice of hot dogs or hamburgers, baked beans, potato salad, pasta salad, chips, watermelon and cookies.

There had to be an additional run to Fareway to pick up more hamburger buns, hamburgers and cheese as the line was thick through the 5:30 p.m. hour.

Main Street was closed for roughly half a block in front of Lisbon Public Library to house more tables, chairs and seats.

And many people were jovial as they waited in line for the meal, picking fun with Vavrcek and Justin Connor at the Fareway grill and visiting with neighbors.

The next Community Eats is Thursday, July 16 at 5 p.m. at SELCC.