Kringle’s Kitchen serving the community for eight years

With its host of volunteers, Kringle's Kitchen has served Portageville and the surrounding area on Christmas Day for eight consecutive years. Kringle's Kitchen was started in 2011 by Dr. Clint Klipfel who wanted a way to give back to the community.

"To me, Christmas is a huge celebration and full of fun. It is my favorite time of year! I realized, that maybe that wasn't the case for everyone due to financial burdens or loneliness. I wanted to change that and offer a touch of cheer and hope to them, specifically on Christmas Day," said Klipfel. He began Kringle's Kitchen with the intent of serving a hot meal with the help of a few volunteers, all funded with his own money. However, when word got out on his project, donations started flooding in. "I was overwhelmed by the support Kringle's Kitchen was receiving. People actually believed in my project enough to donate their hard earned money to the cause," he said.

Since that first year, Kringle's Kitchen has continued to grow in the number of people it serves and the ways it is able to serve the community. In 2011, Kringle's Kitchen delivered approximately 200 meals to the needy and elderly. This year, they served approximately 425 hot meals, one of the biggest years yet. They have served about 400 meals per year for the past few years. In addition to the meals, Kringle's Kitchen delivers a food basket full of canned goods, snacks, fruit and other goodies to each family. They also deliver a toy and stocking full of juice boxes and snacks to each child, totally about 140 of each this year.

"We use a team of about fifteen volunteers in the kitchen to help make the plates, wrap them, and tie them with a bow for each recipient. Additionally, we have twelve delivery teams that are truly Santa's elves, delivering the food, food baskets, toys, and hot plates around town. It takes a small army, all of whom give up their Christmas Day to serve at Kringle's Kitchen,” Klipfel explains.

For the past few years, Kringle's Kitchen has also provided gifts to every resident at the New Madrid Nursing Home. This year they delivered 90 Christmas bags full of new sweat suits, socks, hygiene items and a box of chocolates on December 26th. When asked how it all worked, Klipfel replied with the grace of God and the community's support.

Kringle's Kitchen sends out sponsorship letters to local businesses and residents in the fall. With that money, they buy the supplies for all of the projects. They also use donations from the PHS Student Council Food and Toy Drives and other local donations as well. "It really takes a large effort to make it possible. We rely on donations from the community as well as people to turn in names of those in need. The schools, churches and other residents are a huge part in notifying us who could use our services. Without them, we would have a ton of items with no place to go,” said Klipfel.

In order to make it all run according to plan, Klipfel divides the town into a delivery map with various phases in order to keep the food hot. Each delivery team receives a binder telling them where to go, how many adults and children are in the home. "We have a system that runs almost like clockwork by now, although we always find ways to improve it and make it better for all involved."

Kringle's Kitchen will use any additional funds not used on Christmas Day to start their shopping for next year as well as on local projects throughout the year. In the past, they have helped with lunch bills at schools, helped families who lose a parent or guardian and help families who lose everything in a fire. Their main focus is Christmas, but their mission to help the community continues 365 days a year as needed.

"I just can't thank the community enough for what they do in supporting Kringle's Kitchen. It was my dream, but it has been able to continue and grown because of the generosity and support of the town. I am always amazed each year as the sponsorships and volunteer forms arrive in my office. It is a true blessing in which I can never say thank you enough,” added Klipfel!

Kringle's Kitchen also gives a special thanks to Food Rite who cooks the ham and dressing as well as the PHS Student Council who stuffs all of the snack stockings each year. If you want to know more or would like to get involved with Kringle's Kitchen, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Clint at Health Connection Chiropractic.