The idea for Moveable Feast Lexington was born earlier in 1998 after a destitute artist with AIDS starved to death just a few blocks from City Hall. The late Michael Thompson, a well-known AIDS activist, and Carol Farmer began taking leftover food from local restaurants to people who needed it. Eventually they enlisted the help of the Episcopal Aids Ministry to raise money and remodeled the St. This became MFL’s first official kitchen. In 2005, the organization moved to a larger facility in St. Martha’s Episcopal Church on Lexington’s south side. In April of 2008 Moveable Feast began the process of finding a more permanent home. After searching in downtown Lexington they settled on a fixer upper on the corner of 5th street and Silver Maple Way that was once Nanny’s Soul Food, a favorite local restaurant before it closed. Built in 1890’s as a grocery store Moveable Feast’s new kitchen was gutted and 100 years of trash and construction debris was hauled away. With the help of local sub-contractors, volunteers, staff and board members the little building was converted to a full working kitchen and the offices of the Executive Director. Moveable Feast has a home of it’s own for the first time in 12 years of service to Lexington! MFL is a 501c3 non-profit that gets 40% of its funding from public and private grants. The other 60% of its budget comes from private donations and fundraisers. Instead of focusing on one or two big fundraisers a year, the organization devotes its resources to smaller, less costly fundraisers throughout the year. Fundraisers like The Belmont BBQ, Cause For Pie and Empty Bowls continue to not only raise money but also educate the community about MFL.
