Sisters’ Camelot Fighting Hunger in Their Own Unique Way

By Linda St.Cyr, Contributing Writer

There are times when I find myself moved or becoming passionate after reading about an event, a group of people or something off the wall. Off beat news and events appeal to me, so I wasn’t shocked that when I learned about Sisters’ Camelot that it brought a tear to my eye knowing that there are some incredibly beautiful people in the world.

Sisters’ Camelot is what I would consider an off the beaten path nonprofit group that runs their charity out of a garage and a bus in Minnesota. The group drives their funky painted bus into different areas of Minneapolis or St. Paul, puts out a sign that says “Free Meal Here Tonight”, and serves up plates full of organic goodness to anyone who drops by. The group doesn’t care if you are rich or poor and their goal is not just to feed the hunger, although they are doing that in abundance. The goal of Sisters’ Camelot is to build up community relations via organic and nutritional food.

Rob Czernik, a volunteer for Sisters’ Camelot says of the group, “We're kind of out of the mainstream. We don't check IDs or keep track of how often people come. We deal mainly with perishable foods. And we give people an opportunity to try something new."

Sisters’ Camelot started off as a small grassroots movement but has grown. The nonprofit partners with Albert’s Organics, Co-Op Partners in St. Paul and visits farmers markets to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables. These produce items are often considered damaged or unsalable because they were packaged with other damaged goods. The group distributed over 1.7 million pounds of free food last year alone.

The group has been working to make a difference in the lives of Minnesota residents for over 10 years. Originally, the group ran their free-meal kitchen out of a coffee shop, but now runs a mobile organic meal kitchen out of a bus. Sisters’ Camelot goes out three days a week and will be cooking up whatever fresh produce was found prior. Some of the meals they have made and served to residents for free include brie-stuffed mushrooms (thanks to finding 50 pounds of cheese curds), squash biscuits, stir-fried green and red peppers, zucchini with brie cheese, and stuffed green peppers. The meals are completely dependent on the fresh, organic produce that Sisters’ Camelot gains.

This group might be small, but their actions are making a meaning full impact on the communities they serve. One can only hope that a Sisters’ Camelot movement will catch on to all the cities and towns in the world.