There's a lot cooking in the kitchen of a downtown Stillwater church, and it's more than just food.

The tables are nearly set at Episcopal Church of the Ascension, where volunteers and organizers plan to invite the public in for a series of community breakfasts this summer. It's part of a new program designed to help people eat well and stay healthy, but its supporters hope it will evolve into much more.

"At this stage, this is a pilot project. This is a test, kind of an experimental case," said Church Rector Rev. Buff Grace. "I think what we hope is that it will grow."

The project, called Our Community Kitchen, is an offshoot of Living Healthy in Washington County. Part of a larger statewide plan hatched by lawmakers in 2007, the program is designed to help combat the costs of obesity and chronic illness by encouraging county residents to eat and act healthier.

Beginning June 14, the church will open its doors every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. for a series of open-house breakfasts. Ann DeLaVergne, who coordinated the project as a food systems organizer for the Land Stewardship Project, said people of all kinds are encouraged to stop by and grab a meal.

"Eating healthy, nutritious food is a right of everybody — poor, rich, everybody. So our concept is to invite everybody here and share a breakfast together," DeLaVergne said.

In addition to standard fare like eggs and toast, the meals will feature fruits and vegetables grown at local farms and community gardens. It's part of a multi-faceted approach to encouraging city and county residents to eat healthier foods. Supporters say it's also a prime opportunity to strengthen bonds within the community.

"We picked a breakfast because we feel that that’s the start of the day, it’s a way to get things going, it’s building community. People can come together, people share information and just know each other," DeLaVergne said.

The project's organizers hope it will eventually grow into something even bigger, too. By serving locally grown produce, Grace said he hopes to help expand the market for local agriculture. And he hopes the kitchen itself can become an asset for the community, hosting classes on things like canning and preserving. Beyond that, he envisions a possible Meals-on-Wheels type program to help give senior citizens access to healthy, home-cooked meals.

It's all in the future, but Grace is optimistic. He sees a need to be filled — one that affects people in all walks of life.

"As families get busier and busier and busier, dinner and other meals are often the first thing to get pushed out of the schedule," he said. "This nutrition issue is not bound by any kind of economic system necessarily. It’s problematic for all families across the board."

DeLaVergne said Grace's ideas are "brilliant," and hopes to see them come to fruition. For now, she said people really just need to bring their appetites.

"We really want folks who need food to show up," she said.

Our Community Kitchen plans to host its breakfasts throughout the summer and into August. There is no charge, but donations are encouraged for those who can afford them. Activities for children will be provided.