NewmarketToday continues its fifth annual tradition of marking the giving season by celebrating Newmarket's Community Angels — the people whose kindness, compassion and community spirit help make our town one of the best to live in the country.
When Kirk Bowden found himself with free time in 2014, he decided to help residents of the community who faced a Thanksgiving without a turkey.
He purchased and filled his trunk with turkeys and headed to the Newmarket Food Pantry, where he handed them out. It was certainly not enough for everyone, but he recalled seeing a lady crying with joy upon receiving one.
After that, he went inside and asked to sign up as a permanent volunteer.
“I’ve always had a cooking background, so the food pantry felt like a good fit,” Bowden said, adding that “It just warms my heart knowing we’re doing something good in our community and helping people.”
The longtime chef has become a stalwart at the Newmarket Food Pantry. Although he recently stepped down, he spent seven years on the food pantry board, five of which he was the chair. He continues to volunteer with the food pantry, along with other meal programs.
Bowden described the board expanding the Newmarket Food Pantry to meet the growing need for food in recent years,
“We’ve come a long way,” he said, describing the move from a 2,200-square-foot facility to a 6,000-square-foot one. “The need is growing … We all worked together to get the food pantry where it is today. We have four staff now, and it’s very well run, and it’s going to continue to grow as need grows as well.”
The food pantry reported that last month, November, was its busiest ever, with more than 2,000 people served, Bowden said.
Bowden said he has stuck with the food pantry because it feels good to give back.
“I’ve met lots of clients that had to come in and use our services and being able to see them get back on their feet and really be grateful,” he said. “It warms my heart.”
He stepped back a bit to focus on his meal delivery business, EZ Eats, which began in March.
But as he’s cooking for business again, he said he is still volunteering with the food pantry, including the turkey drive. This year, more than 400 received turkeys.
“It just keeps getting bigger. It’s because of the support of many people and businesses in our community,” he said.
Bowden said he has also started volunteering at the Crosslands Church in Newmarket, providing free community dinners for people.
“I’m putting my chef skills to work,” he said. “This type of volunteering fits perfectly.”
Bowden added more volunteers are needed. He recommended others should get involved with the community, and volunteering is a great way to do that.
“In a perfect world, there would be no food pantry. It wouldn’t exist. But we’re not at that stage, and I don’t see it ever going away,” he said. “So I’ll continue to volunteer for the rest of my life to make sure people are able to have a good meal.”
