A Cooked Meal Annual Meeting Recap

SEPTEMBER 7, 2026  •  1:13–2:15 PM  •  First 9-Month Review

Cece, Chair   |   Stephanie Rohrbaugh, Vice Chair   |   Jason, Treasurer

What a first nine months. A Cooked Meal gathered for its inaugural annual meeting to celebrate a faster-than-expected 501(c)(3) approval, the launch of community meal programs, and approximately $3,700 raised. The conversation paired an honest financial review with an ambitious vision for more meals, more communities, and more neighbors at the table.

TL;DR

A Cooked Meal earned nonprofit status, raised nearly $4,000, fed 340–350 people, and launched community meals in nine months. Next priorities are recruiting volunteers and board members, expanding service, strengthening fundraising, and completing nonprofit taxes.

Financial Summary

Income & Fundraising (9 Months)

Total Raised: Approximately $3,700–$3,800

Tracking Note: Minor discrepancy of $18.50 between bank account ($3,696.34) and Zeffy records ($3,760.84) — Jason will investigate

Fundraiser Breakdown

· Rico's Trivia Night (Pullman, April 2026): ~$537 — most successful fundraiser to date

·         Uniontown Tap House Trivia Night: ~$150

·         Uniontown Tap House Movie Night: ~$40

·         Park Movie Nights (Uniontown): No donations collected

Expenses

·         Movie Licensing: $200 per movie × 5 movies = $1,000 (one reusable license valid until August 6, 2027)

·         Uniontown Community Building Rental: $25 per use ($50/month for 2 meals/month)

·         Event Liability Insurance: $69.30/month

Observation: The organization fell short of its goal to host monthly fundraisers. Moving forward, the team committed to a more consistent fundraising schedule to sustain operations and growth.

Events & Community Impact

Events Hosted (January–September 2026)

·         Pullman Pride (June 2026): A Cooked Meal served as the primary food provider

·         Movie Series (Summer 2026): Four outdoor movies shown at Uniontown Park

·         Lentil Festival: Distributed ~1,500 cookies and beverages; focused on outreach and awareness

·         Community Meals in Uniontown: Two meals served so far, feeding 15–20 people per meal

·         Trivia Nights: Two fundraising trivia events (Pullman and Uniontown)

People Fed (9 Months)

🍲 340–350 PEOPLE FED in the organization's first nine months

This includes meals served at Pride, Uniontown community meals, and leftover distributions to Circle of Caring (Pullman). Note: Cookies distributed at Lentil Festival are not included in this count.

Reflection: The team acknowledged they didn't expect to be serving meals this early. Despite challenges, they achieved significant progress in their first nine months and fed hundreds of people across multiple communities.

Future Plans

Upcoming Events (Fall 2026)

·         September 15: Community Meal in Uniontown

·         September 18: Fundraiser in Uniontown

·         September 26: Harvest Fest tabling event (5–10 PM, setup at 4 PM) — Stephanie will distribute volunteer flyers

·         October (TBD): Halloween costume party fundraiser — the team will explore trunk-or-treat participation and distribute literature/cookies at local events

Goals for the Next 12 Months

Meal Service Expansion

⭐ GOAL: SERVE 1,000–1,500 MEALS. Expanding across multiple communities in the next 12 months

·         Garfield: Actively working to establish a meal program; need local volunteers (lead cooks, sous chefs, cleaning crew, setup)

·         Albion: Potential new location mentioned by multiple people at Lentil Festival; no current contacts, but team is open to expansion if local volunteers emerge

·         Uniontown: Continue twice-monthly meals; seeking additional volunteers (sous chef, cleaning crew, setup)

🙌 HELP SET MORE PLACES AT THE TABLE. Volunteer and board roles are open now

Open Board Positions:

·         Secretary

·         Social Media Coordinator

·         Events Coordinator

·         Members at Large

Volunteer Needs by Location:

·         Uniontown: Sous chef, cleaning crew, setup volunteers

·         Garfield: Lead cooks, sous chefs, cleaning crew, setup volunteers

Outreach Strategy: The team discussed contacting WSU professors and student organizations to promote volunteering opportunities. Many students need community service hours for coursework or Greek life requirements, making this a promising recruitment avenue.

Fundraising & Financial Goals

·         Host more consistent monthly fundraisers

·         Apply for larger grants in November/December (e.g., USDA rural food assistance grants) to reduce reliance on frequent fundraisers

·         Consider participating in Lentil Festival 2027 (pending cost-benefit analysis)

Administrative Priorities

·         File nonprofit taxes for the first time — Jason will research tax forms and seek a nonprofit-oriented accountant

·         Improve documentation: Cece will organize meeting minutes and upload them to Google Drive

·         Enhance social media presence: Create a visual compilation (slideshow/story) of 2026 events using photos from Google Drive

Action Items

Cece

·         Post the annual meeting transcript to social media and send out a newsletter for review

·         Create a visual compilation (slideshow/story) of the year's events using photos from Google Drive for social media and website

·         Organize and upload meeting minutes to the designated Google Drive folder

Jason

·         Investigate and resolve the $18.50 discrepancy between the bank account and Zeffy account

·         Swing by the library to find tax forms or download them online, and look into finding a nonprofit-oriented accountant for tax filing

Stephanie

·         Take volunteer flyers to Harvest Fest to recruit volunteers

Team (Collaborative)

·         Keep ears to the ground to find out about trunk-or-treat events in October and assess involvement

·         Start planning for a Halloween costume party fundraiser in October, including finding a location and creating literature

·         Look into contacting WSU professors and student organizations to promote volunteering opportunities

·         Continue efforts to establish a meal program in Garfield and explore starting one in Albion

·         Actively recruit for board positions (secretary, social media, events coordinator, members at large) and volunteers for Uniontown and Garfield

Key Takeaways

Progress Made: In just nine months, A Cooked Meal became a functioning 501(c)(3), raised nearly $4,000, fed 340–350 people, and launched regular community meals — faster than the founders expected.

Challenges Ahead: The organization needs more volunteers and board members to sustain and expand meal programs. Filing nonprofit taxes will be the next major administrative hurdle.

📅 SAVE THE DATE: Next Annual Meeting: September 5, 2027

THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE STORY. More meals. More volunteers. More community in 2027.

Quick Q&A

Q: What did A Cooked Meal accomplish in its first nine months? A: It secured 501(c)(3) status, raised about $3,700–$3,800, fed 340–350 people, and launched community meal programs.

Q: What is the organization’s next meal-service goal? A: Serve 1,000–1,500 meals over the next 12 months while expanding into Garfield and potentially Albion.

Q: What support is needed most? A: Volunteers for cooking, setup, and cleanup, plus board members for secretary, social media, events, and member-at-large roles.

Q: What are the main financial priorities? A: Resolve the $18.50 account discrepancy, hold fundraisers more consistently, pursue larger grants, and prepare the organization’s first nonprofit tax filing.

Q: When is the next annual meeting? A: September 5, 2027.