When your mission is to serve free, hot meals four times a week to anybody in the community who needs them, any contribution of time or money is meaningful.

But an unexpected grant of $3,000 to support your work is a special cause for celebration. And that’s precisely the situation that the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen finds itself in these days.

“We’ll use this money to buy food. We’re hoping to paint our ladies room, and we might use some of it to buy paint with,” said Ellie Pedersen, president of LINK’s board of directors. “We also have an elevator that serves people who are handicapped, and it’s out of order at the moment. We’re working on getting it fixed.”

At its board meeting Wednesday, LINK is planning to receive a $3,000 check representing a fully funded missions grant from the Presbytery of Northern Kansas, a body of 75 congregations and 11,128 members of the Presbyterian Church covering 48 counties in the state.

The check will be presented to LINK by Kathy Peters, a member of West Side Presbyterian Church, 1024 Kasold Drive, and a volunteer at LINK for 18 years.

The Rev. Jay Gideon, West Side’s interim pastor, first found out about the grant opportunity and set the application process in motion through his church, one of about 30 Lawrence congregations that take turns each month purchasing, preparing and serving a free meal at LINK.

Then Brenda Childers, LINK’s treasurer, put the application for the grant together.

Leaders of LINK, which operates out of the basement of First Christian Church, 1000 Ky., are excited about the prospect of the extra funding headed their way.

“Lots of people in town know we’re a not-for-profit organization and we rely on every donation we can get. So this grant was a nice surprise. Our need continues to rise; we don’t turn anybody away,” Childers said.

LINK’s expenses typically average $1,500 to $1,700 per month, plus the cost of upkeep for the facility, according to Childers. First Christian Church permits LINK to use its basement for a nominal rent fee.

Pedersen estimated that LINK served all-you-can-eat meals to about 120 people each of the four days a week it’s open.

“It gives you a great feeling when you know you’re helping people to a good, hot meal in a friendly, safe place. And we require nothing of them, other than that they behave themselves. We try to treat everyone as if they were guests in our own homes,” Pedersen said.

She expressed gratitude toward West Side and the city’s other Presbyterian congregations.

“They have been wonderful supporters of LINK, and we certainly appreciate their help over all the years. This is an example of what they do for us. We love them,” Pedersen said.