Feeding the hungry at Thanksgiving

Many hands make for light work.

Brenda Moser

Advocate Correspondent

I do enjoy cooking and love to bake but I will admit I have never tackled a meal for hundreds!

One local woman has done this not just once but several times… and is busy preparing for her next cooking frenzy.

I met Lana Plank of Waterford at her job… preparing meals… at Waterford United Church. She has had a long career in cooking and feeding the masses and she truly loves every minute of it.

“I thrive on being busy and tackling challenges. I cook seven days a week, but to me, it’s not a job… it’s a passion. I really don’t worry about the money.”

Plank earned a degree in Culinary Management at Fanshawe College. She has also worked as Culinary Manager at Queensview Retirement Community in Paris as well as Executive Chef at Cedarwood Retirement, Woodstock. Her real love for cooking has never left her and she has expanded her ‘horizons.’

Plank grew up on a farm in the Chatham area and has held a number of interesting jobs in the floral, food, decorating and wedding areas. She even worked 17 years as a dispatcher, then courier, for FedEx. She worked part-time for Why Not City Missions and even ran her own restaurant in Brantford. It was located on Colborne St., where the Y is now, and had it until the city expropriated the property. But Plank seemed to know that her ‘perfect’ job was still out there waiting for her and it would definitely be in cooking and serving others.

Plank has two daughters, Kris and Jen, so when Lana chose to start her newest venture, she chose the name ‘krisjens2.0’. Each week Lana prepares a menu for a Tuesday and/or Thursday meal, offering more than one option, and they can be frozen or refrigerated. All meals come with potatoes and vegetables, unless a pasta dish or rice dish. Vegetarian options are available… just ask. For just $14 per meal you can’t go wrong. Desserts are available as well as soup, cookies, pie, muffins and even scones for an additional cost. Plank offers delivery and can supply you with the week’s menu and costs by emailing her at Lnplank@hotmail.com .

THANKSGIVING

Plank loves to give back to the community and does just that when she offers her free Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

On Oct. 13, Plank will be serving up her free Thanksgiving dinner – take out only. Meals can be picked up at Waterford United Church, 135 Main Street, Waterford, between 2-3:30 p.m.

To order your traditional Thanksgiving meal you must let Plank know by Oct. 9 and you can do so by either calling her at 226-802-1328 or by email at Lnplank@hotmail.com . There is limited delivery available to Simcoe, Waterford, Brantford and even Hamilton so volunteer drivers are always welcome. Plank gets some financial support to help cover the costs. If you would like to make any donations, you can do so by contacting her at the number above and she will be happy to help you.

Plank states, “I don’t do this for accolades or praise. Prayer works too! ‘He’ takes care of everything.”

When Plank started her venture in 2019 she served about 140 meals. Numbers dropped, of course, through COVID but have gone up and this past Christmas she served 760 people. Quite an endeavour made possible through food donations - thanks to Foodland, the Waterford Food Cupboard and Kerry’s St. James St. Eatery - and monetary donations from the Waterford Lions and Lionettes. A HUGE thank you has to go to all of the volunteers who step up to help, and especially to Waterford United Church for the use of their kitchen and facility. Great things happen when we come together… for others!!

While Plank loves what she does and likes to be busy she will always accept some extra hands for meal prep and/or delivering meals for the upcoming Thanksgiving meal. The satisfaction of helping others is most rewarding… and a good way to spend a few hours of the day.

Thank you Lana for everything you do for others.