PHOENIX — Allan Lindsay loves to cook.
His passion for the culinary arts started when the Army veteran was stationed in Las Vegas in the early 2000s. He purchased a nice set of pots and pans and figured he should learn how to use them.
“I started watching the Food Network and it just kind of took off as a hobby,” Lindsay said. “I'm retired now I and get plenty of time to do it, so it helps the community, and I enjoy cooking for them.”
Cooking for the community; that’s Lindsay’s new mission. On a Tuesday afternoon, in his kitchen, Lindsay stirs large pots of Pozole and admires the aroma.
“That should feed 25 to 30 people,” Lindsay confirms. “I also have two more pots going on the stove over here. That should be about another 20 people right there.”
Lindsay’s mission is simple: feed whoever needs a meal, free of charge.
“I think a lot of people will get my meals, and then they will send a photo on Messenger of their kids enjoying the meal,” Lindsay explained. “That makes me feel really good right there when I kind of see the fruits of my labor.”
Lindsay, who takes orders on his Facebook page Allan’s Kitchen, has fed hundreds of people since he first started doing this back in May. He offers his food to anyone who needs a meal, whether they are struggling to make ends meet or worked a long day and are too tired to cook. All they need to do is reserve a meal.
Lindsay never charges, but he does accept donations. The community in Laveen has stepped up in a big way, donating food and cooking supplies. At one point, when his stove gave out, the community rallied to get him a new stove to keep cooking.
The administrator of the Living Laveen Facebook group worked out a discount with a local appliance store for Lindsay.
“We went to Van Camp appliances and said, ‘Okay, Eric said you're going to give me a discount,’” Lindsay said. “They said, ‘no, we're going to give you a free stove’. So, it was excellent. And I had all the donations. Everybody just said, ‘Hey, keep it, stock your freezer and feed more people.’”
Feeding more people is exactly what Lindsay has done. Bringing a community together and making sure no one in Laveen goes hungry.
“The support is overwhelming,” Lindsay said, beaming. “We have a really good community here in Leveen. I've never seen another community like it in the Valley. So, we really do enjoy good support.”
Allan Lindsay cooks a few times a week. He posts his meals on Living Laveen and Allan’s Kitchen. He says folks can message him on either of those pages to reserve their meal. Lindsay also accepts donations on Allan’s Kitchen page.
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