For years, volunteers at the Ruth M. Smith Center in Sheffield sold pies and cookies at the Johnny Appleseed Festival to make money to install a new kitchen at the center.

The festival is no more. But thanks to continued community support from fundraisers, grant applications and a $100,000 anonymous donation the center’s new kitchen will become a reality. It’s a testament to what can happen when a group of dedicated volunteers sets a goal and doesn’t give up at the first, second, third or hundredth setback they face.

The Smith Center staff have been preparing more than 30 lunches and dinners daily in one of the small kitchens of the residential dormitories where the meals are then transported to other buildings. With limited space in the kitchen the basement is utilized for pantry storage.

In 2024 a concerted push was made to bring a more than 20 year dream to fruition. Architectural renderings were produced by a civil engineer and a developer was chosen through a bidding process.Now, after decades of money trickling in last year’s push has come to shove. The campaign is only $12,000 short of its goal – close enough that ground can be broken and work can soon begin in earnest.

The newly built, stand alone building measuring 72 feet by 32 feet will be home to a large commercial kitchen and storage as well as rooms used for conferences and training and space for special events. And all of that will be on one floor.

A lot of hard work has gone into raising the money for the Smith Center’s new kitchen. Kudos to all those involved with this project for so long not only for securing the money but not simply giving up as the months turned into years and the years turned into nearly two decades. Their perseverance will pay off for all those who make meals in the new kitchen once it’s operational and for the center’s residents when they sit down for lunch and dinner every day.