RACINE — The Hospitality Center in Racine served up a special Polish feast for guests this holiday season, transforming their daily meal service into a traditional celebration of comfort food and community.
The idea for Monday's special meal began with an unexpected donation of 11 cases of pierogies from the Racine County Food Bank.
"We got this funny call from the food bank, asking if we would like to take 11 cases of pierogies, and this Polish heart became very happy," Executive Director Joan Roehre said.
The center, which typically serves around 200 meals daily to Racine's under-resourced population, invited Polish chef Joe Parajecki to lead a kitchen takeover.
"I jumped on it," Parajecki said. "It fit my heart."
The menu featured traditional Polish comfort foods including pierogies with potatoes, onions, and bacon; kapusta; kielbasa; and more. Parajecki and local bakery Busias XOXO also contributed to Monday's offerings.
"It's comfort food. It's the holidays. It's pierogies with potatoes and onions and bacon and kapusta and kielbasa. It's pure comfort food," Roehre said.
For Parajecki, the meal honored a Polish Christmas Eve tradition of leaving one seat open at dinner for someone who might stop by unexpected. That person is intended to personify Christ coming into your home.
"These are people who would come to the door and knock on the door, and they would not be turned away, so they're not gonna get turned away here," Parajecki said.
The Hospitality Center's mission extends beyond just providing meals, and includes services like laundry and haircuts.
"We're gonna feed you. We're gonna love you," Roehre said.
As a result, the center creates a family atmosphere where guests can connect with one another and build community.
"You catch up, you socialize, you laugh, you cry. This is family out here," Roehre said.
Parajecki emphasized the emotional connection that comes through sharing food.
"Food is love, so that’s what this is all about," Parajecki said. "This is about showing love to other people."
The Hospitality Center welcomes everyone who needs a meal, embodying the Polish tradition of hospitality, especially during the holiday season.
"Truly, they are our guests, and we set the table for them every day," Roehre said. "And they're welcome here."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
