Cedarcreek Covenant Church in Maple Valley celebrated four years of serving free hot meals to the community every Friday night last week. And it’s all thanks to one woman, Lisa Leonard.

Leonard lives in Black Diamond and started the community meal program after realizing there was a great need for it.

Now, a total of four community churches throughout the area serve community meals in Enumclaw, Hobart, Black Diamond and Maple Valley. The food is donated by The Storehouse in Covington, a food distribution program that helps families in need.

Leonard is the face of the program and she’s also the cook.

The volunteers serve about 35-40 people at the Cedarcreek Covenant Church on a weekly basis. But, Leonard’s job doesn’t stop there. After she gets the evening rolling by serving the first group of hungry patrons, she packs up 20 more servings into her personal car and drives out to the gorge community near Black Diamond where she serves even more people.

Leonard also has several stops along the way where she delivers sack lunches for the weekend to different people in need.

She said the people are incredibly grateful, for not only the hot meal, but also for the smile she brings them.

The community meals on Friday nights are not just open to people in need of a hot meal, anyone from the community can join.

Some come mainly for the conversation. For others, it might be their only time out of the house.

Leonard also said this meal is for some the only hot meal during the week.

“If it weren’t for meals like this, we would have people starving,” she said.

But these people don’t always need material items and food to get them through the day. Sure, basic hygiene products are a necessity, but, more than that, Lisa said they just need to be productive.

Clean clothes, a warm shower and something to do can go a long way, she said.

She has hired a few homeless people over the years to do odd jobs around her house because they needed a few extra dollars.

But, something that anyone can give, no matter where they are in their lives, is a smile and a greeting to people that may never get a single ‘hello’ all day long, Leonard said.

“A smile, it’s so easy to give,” she said.