Beacon's Backyard Kitchen Cooks and Serves Thanksgiving Brunch To Community In Need
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This is a story of the hot meals - often with gluten free options - that are prepared by the rotating volunteer crew at Beacon’s Backyard Kitchen, an upstart of The Yard Beacon, after a soup kitchen closed on Main Street in January 2025. Since then, they have served over 6,000 meals to anyone in need.
THat little sign you see on the side of Fishkill Ave. is for Beacon’s Backyard Kitchen, who prepare free hot and delicious meals for those in need every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6:30-8:30am weekly.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth
Thursday was their Thanksgiving Brunch, open to any and all who need it. Beacon’s Backyard Kitchen is open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 6:30-8:30am each week at 12 Hanna Lane. When SNAP ended, the volunteer crew was there, with Chef Lewis cooking, and volunteers serving. Made possible by ongoing donations from all sources.
When they first opened, it was fair to wonder how the people in need would get to them. Since Beacon’s Backyard location is off the beaten path on Fishkill Avenue, which is a heavily trafficked road.
This day, however, ALBB saw that the people - many who are elderly - do come no matter what. By foot or wheelchair or wheeling walker, they come, assisting each other all the way down Rte. 52, and then down the long driveway of The Yard. If coming from the other direction, which is connected to Main Street by the Fishkill Creek, one can avoid the vehicular traffic above. But several elderly people come from the top.
Below is a photo series of the road journey to Beacon’s Backyard Kitchen at 12 Hanna Lane:
For the Thanksgiving Meal, the crew pulled out all the stops. The location switched buildings, from the one-story dark gray building to the Big Tent, warmed by powerful heaters and decorated in twinkling lights hanging brightly above rustic wooden family-style tables topped with pumpkins and condiments.
Normally, Beacon’s Backyard Kitchen serves out of this building on the property. But for Thanksgiving Brunch, they switched to the big white fancy tent with heaters.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth
Offering to help a guest with their rolling walker may be futile, as they are just fine thank you very much, but appreciate the gesture with a smile. If they don’t know where the meal moved to, one guest stakes it out ahead of the group, and then retreats to get the others, motivating them to stand up again to keep moving to the final destination of the tables for the warm meal, this time served from fancy catering dishes.
Donate any time to Beacon’s Backyard Kitchen to keep this weekly program going. Opportunities to support also arise when they have fundraising event nights.
