ORANGE : Temporary Site for Charity Kitchen OKd

Mary’s Kitchen, a charity that serves hot meals to homeless people, received final City Council approval this week to move into temporary quarters at the city’s Corporation Yard.

Charity officials hope to start serving meals from the new location as early as mid-April. They are searching for a permanent site for the kitchen once the group’s one-year lease with the city expires next year.

On Tuesday, the City Council allocated $50,000 to move a trailer and portable bathroom into the Corporation Yard. The trailer will be used to cook and serve the meals.

Council members praised organizers and volunteers for their work in providing food to the hungry.

“Fifty thousand dollars is a small price to pay to provide such a legitimate service,” Councilman William G. Steiner said.

Mary’s Kitchen served meals to homeless people at Hart Park for seven years before complaints from neighborhood residents forced the group to stop daily food service, said Scott Mather of St. Vincent de Paul Center, which is helping the kitchen find a permanent home.

Mather said no opposition was expected when the kitchen moved to the Corporation Yard, which is located in an industrial area near the intersection of Batavia Street and Struck Avenue.

Because the Corporation Yard is close to railroad tracks, some have expressed concern over the safety of homeless people who might cross over them en route to the kitchen. To address this concern, officials plan to inform train operators about the kitchen in hopes that they will take extra care when traveling through the area.

Mather said kitchen officials hope to complete the move into permanent quarters without asking the city for additional financial help.