By noon on Jan. 18, about 44 people had shown up for the week’s community lunch at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Boothbay Harbor.

Several diners expressed some surprise more hadn’t come out. They said it usually draws 60 to 70.

It was surprising not only because it was a nice, sunny day and would have been an easy drive, but also because the food prepared for the lunches, served each Thursday from November to around Easter, is uncommonly good.

Tancy Mitchell, a parishioner at St. Columba’s, has been volunteering for the lunch since its inception about 10 years ago.

“There was a heating fuel crisis that year, and we had the idea of creating a warm space where people could come if their homes were cold,” she said. “They could have a lunch and spend the afternoon here, where it was warm, playing board games and visiting.”

Other local churches picked up on the idea, and started offering lunches and warmth in their own spaces on alternate days. In the beginning, only five or 10 people were showing up. “I think people were having a hard time keeping track of where it was being held on certain days,” Mitchell said.

It was decided the “warming lunches,” as they were called then, would all be held at St. Columba’s, with the different churches hosting on certain days, and thanks to that, Mitchell said, it has grown tremendously ever since.

According to organizer and St. Columba’s parishioner Gloria Walter, on the first Thursday of the month, Boothbay Harbor Congregational Church hosts, followed by Methodists from Southport, Boothbay Harbor and East Boothbay the second week, St. Columba’s hosts the third week and Boothbay Baptists host the fourth.

Ten or 12 volunteers from each church provide the homemade soups, breads and desserts. “It’s all volunteer,” Mitchell said. “People from the church and the community cook and bring food in.”

The lunches are held in a large room with round dining tables. Mitchell said guests usually start arriving around 11 a.m. to secure a seat and have coffee and chat before lunch is served at 11:30.

On Jan. 18, there were eight soups and casseroles ranging from a taco, cabbage, and 15 bean soups, to American chop suey, beef stew and a coveted haddock chowder made by parishioner Bruce Burnham, who was sharing a table with his father, Louis, his brother, Glenn, an aunt, Sheila Sears, and an uncle, Merlin Gray.

“Bruce’s fish chowder is usually the biggest seller here,” local chef and caterer Abbie Shaw said as she took a huge pan of bread pudding out of the oven.

Shaw uses whatever bread is left over from the lunches to cube and freeze for the array of bread puddings she makes. “It might be apple, it might be banana, or it might be the dark chocolate and white chocolate that I made today.” That was another big seller that day.

Many diners who were at the lunch are regulars. And why wouldn’t they be? Between the better than average soups, casseroles and desserts and the camaraderie, it’s a pretty sweet deal. “I come just about every Thursday,” Gray said. “I wouldn’t get any lunch if I stayed home, and I’d have to do the dishes.”

Reverend Maria Hoecker offered a blessing to the crowd before lunch started, and several in the crowd offered thanks for family, good friends, good health, good food, and warmth. Someone shouted out she was thankful for the round tables and most in the crowd laughed. There was a private joke going on there.

Bruce Burnham said he was thankful for Boothbay Harbor Police Chief Bob Hasch. “He’s a good guy.” Hasch had joined the group for lunch.

Then everyone enjoyed a far better than average lunch with friends and family.

Everyone is welcome. There’s no charge for the lunches, but donations are welcome. All proceeds go to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry. In 2017, the lunches raised almost $2,000 for the pantry. For every dollar received, the pantry can buy $8 worth of food.

St. Columba's is located at 32 Emery Lane. For more information, call Tancy Mitchell at 592-0660, Gloria Walter at 633-2186, or Connie Heroy at 350-5279.