A key Paterson organization is bringing back an essential service to fight food insecurities.

Eva’s Village is reopening its Community Kitchen with sit-down service.

The organization has been handing out to-go meals for the past two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But with the return of sit-down service, not only can those in need enjoy a hot meal indoors, they can also connect with the volunteers so that they can better understand the challenges of hunger and other issues within the community.

"The people are here for a reason. There is an underlying cause for their hunger. Have they lost a job? Are they homeless? Are they dealing with substance use disorders? If we can talk to them, engage them and connect with them, we can find out what the issues are and we can help them,” says Laura Van Bloem, senior director of development and communications at Eva’s Village.

Eva's Village Community Kitchen serves an average of 350 meals per day. It is located at 393 Main St. in Paterson.