Fifty years ago, Asbury United Methodist Church finished the first building on its new property way out in the boonies on East Avenue. The metal building served as a worship center and fellowship hall until a chapel was built later.

The joke in 1961 was that the celebration of its completion had to be held at the Presbyterian church because the new building wasn't big enough.

A half-century later, on Jan. 15,  Asbury dedicated and consecrated a 6,000-square-foot fellowship hall on the very same spot.

And this time the event was held in the building.

Open Heart Kitchen's New Home

Asbury has been host to Open Heart Kitchen for many years. Thousands of lunches and dinners have been prepared and served to the hungry in the cramped kitchen of the old building. When ground was broken in March last year, the kitchen relocated to Holy Cross Lutheran Church.

The end product proves it was worth the wait.

The new kitchen has two large commercial convection ovens, a 10-burner gas stove, commercial refrigerator and freezer and dishwashing station.

Open Heart Kitchen will have an indoor storage area instead of an old storage shed. It plans to move back to Asbury in March.

"A significant number of the 200,000 meals we serve every year will be out of this kitchen at Asbury, and we are just thrilled with this new equipment," said Wendy Weathers, operations manager for Open Heart Kitchen.

Community Outreach Programs

As part of its community outreach program since 2002, the church has hosted the Livermore community blood drive. During construction, it relocated to the Robert Livermore Community Center. The American Red Cross blood drive will be back in Asbury's fellowship hall on Feb. 18.

To sign up to donate blood, go to www.redcrossblood.org and use Asbury925 as the Sponsor Code.

Other services for the homeless at Asbury include shower facilities and a washer and dryer. Many homeless people have lost their jobs and homes in this tough economy. Without a place to wash clothes and take a shower, it's difficult to find jobs.

Fund-Raising Efforts

The $2.5 million facility has been planned for years. Asbury worked with a consultant on a fund-raising campaign and nearly 70 percent has been raised through donations and contributions.

The building was designed with many "green" features, including connections to accommodate solar-power panels. The building committee did not to include panels because of construction costs.

"This five-year process has allowed us to move beyond what we had to a place to accommodate the needs of the church and the community," Pastor Chuck Johnstone said. "We're also looking forward to welcoming Open Heart Kitchen back in early March!"