P.E.A.C.E. from the Lord’s Kitchen

MOSES LAKE — The Bible says that man does not live by bread alone, but that doesn’t mean that food isn’t pretty important. 

“When (you’re) hungry, it doesn't matter who you are, you could be a millionaire and have all the food in the world, (but) if you're hungry, you don't think properly,” said Amanda Jordan, cofounder with her husband Jeremiah of P.E.A.C.E. from the Lord’s Kitchen. “Our bodies are meant to thrive and we need food to do that.” 

P.E.A.C.E. from the Lord’s Kitchen – the P.E.A.C.E. stands for “Providing Essential Assistance with Compassionate Efforts” – has been quietly feeding people in Moses Lake since 2023. The meals are free, not just free of charge, but free of judgment or strings. There’s no paperwork to fill out, no requirement to prove a need. Anyone who shows up gets fed. 

The idea came to the Jordans during a prophetic conference at their church, Grace Harvest Church.  

“I really felt like God told me that I was going to be feeding his people,” Jeremiah said. “We got back home, and I told my wife what I felt, and she looked at me and she goes, ‘It's funny that you say that because I actually felt God tell me that I was supposed to follow you and help you. Everything just started coming together after that, and it’s been growing ever since.” 

P.E.A.C.E. from the Lord’s Kitchen feeds between 45 and 80 people every week at tables set up in the Grace Harvest parking lot. The day alternates; one week it will be on Friday and the next on Saturday. All the food is cooked on the spot by the Jordans’ oldest son Caleb McMahon, and their other boys – they have seven in all – help as well. 

The ingredients are donated by the Moses Lake Food Bank or individuals in the community. The fare tends toward simple, stick-to-the-ribs food like spaghetti or pulled pork sandwiches, Jeremiah said. 

“If we can make stuff that is going to be filling, then it's not going to burn off within the first five minutes,” he said. “Then people will be OK for a little bit.” 

Many of the people who benefit from the meals are unhoused, Jeremiah said, but the meals are also intended for low-income families and seniors whose grocery budgets may not stretch as far as they should. More families have been coming recently, he said. 

As important as food is, it’s not the complete solution, Amanda said.  

“You're living on the streets, you're sleeping in a park, everything you own is in a backpack, and what is the next step for you?” she said. “Yes, we fed you, I love that, but now what can we do to help you get out of this situation, so you're not here every week eating? And that's when I created our Prayer/Resource Table.” 

At that table, there’s someone willing to pray for or with anyone who needs prayer, and some people are happy to accept it. 

“We have a sign out that says, ‘How can we pray for you?’” Jeremiah said. “We never push it on people (but) we've had more people come up to us and ask for prayer, and they're very open about what they need prayer for. I think it really helps them as well, because they see that we're there to help them.” 

Besides prayer, the table also offers fliers Amanda made directing people to resources for other issues: clothing, housing, employment, help with addiction. 

“I think it was our second or third event, this guy showed up and Jeremiah … had tears in his eyes, and he was like, ‘I know this guy. We were friends and he's high and he's hungry and he's homeless.’ That really struck him. That was when I think the urge to help really started hitting me. We need these resources because I didn’t know what to tell this guy either.” 

“A lot of times, people need help and they know that, but because they're hungry, they don't know how to go about it,” Jeremiah said. “So once they have their meal, then we'll sit down with them and we'll talk to them and find out what their next step is.” 

P.E.A.C.E. from the Lord’s Kitchen is expanding into Warden with a monthly event, Jeremiah said, and Amanda said there’s a possibility of bringing food to Othello in the future as well. Recently they took a trip to Kent, a suburb south of Seattle, to partner with some local organizations in making food for a wellness event.  

“Originally, we were just planning (to be) here in Moses Lake, keeping it local,” Amanda said. “But we also are finding that if God is showing us that there's these doors, then this need is elsewhere … When we went to Kent, it was a great event and we're very thankful we got to help people. But it there were so many people who told us they were going to be there that day, that lived there and didn't show up. And I remember thinking, we drove three hours and you couldn't drive 10 minutes to be here in your community to help? We never have that here in Grant County.” 

As P.E.A.C.E. from the Lord’s Kitchen becomes more established, the local community has been generous in its support, Amanda said. 

“That's really what keeps us going,” she said. “Food donations, cash donations, those volunteers who show up to help us serve. It's beautiful. I mean, we couldn't do it without the backing of our community. I'm really touched by how people are stepping up and reaching out, just to see what (they can) do.” 

    Guests enjoy a meal from P.E.A.C.E. from the Lord’s Kitchen. The ministry has been feeding all comers, no questions asked, since 2023.
  

    The food P.E.A.C.E. from the Lord’s Kitchen serves up tends to be simple fare, and the ingredients are all donated.
  

    P.E.A.C.E. from the Lord’s Kitchen recently partnered with several organizations in the Seattle area to serve meals at an event there.