Du Jour: Ronald Stott, Community Cafe

Food has long been a mainstay of churches, manifested in covered-dish suppers, bake sales and jambalaya fundraisers, but First United Methodist Church of Baker has taken the loaves-and-fishes concept further. Their Community Café, run by Ronald Stott and a team of staff and volunteers, has created a regional catering business whose proceeds support community projects. Modeled after programs like Café Reconcile in New Orleans, Community Café also trains out-of-work clients to work in the food business. “It’s grown and grown,” says Stott, “so much more than we imagined.” The project began shortly after Katrina, when the church prepared and delivered meals to the residents of Renaissance Village, the FEMA trailer community in Baker. Then parishioners began a complimentary lunch on Wednesday for the community with food donated by Chef John Folse. Find out how this community project went from small to big by clicking here.To read previous Du Jour features on local chefs and other culinary experts, click here.