COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Since March, a tradition has been growing in Cookeville to feed the hungry.
"Come here, bacon grease!" said Philip Pharris, the man with the spatula, standing over a griddle. "That's the reason I love cooking meat. It smells so delicious."
A crowd of people stood in line outside a church, waiting for a plate of bacon, sausage, eggs, and pancakes.
Pharris has worked in kitchens all over Cookeville. On Saturday morning, he was part of a crew of all ages.
"A 12-year-old, a 36-year-old, if he's actually 36," Pharris said, looking at the people working alongside him.
"He's older than 36!" a voice shouted.
This was The Giving Griddle.
It started with Stacey Trent, a deacon at First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville. The church has long had a Blessing Box of food and essentials for people in need. There came a day where Trent handed a can of food to someone, and she wanted to do more than that.
"I went home, and I asked my husband how I could start cooking eggs in the parking lot," she said.
"Team work! It makes the dream work!" Pharris added.
Since March, Trent's church and other volunteers have done The Giving Griddle twice a month.
"Anybody can come down here," Pharris said, speaking between flipping sausages on the griddle.
The Giving Griddle often serves people living without a home and others who have suddenly fallen on hard times.
"It's a lot of elderly," Trent added. "While they may have food, it gets hard to have a home cooked meal. They take a plate to a friend living with cancer, so it's quite a mix."
One of the regular visitors for The Giving Griddle is Pharris.
"It's helping people like me," he nodded. "This is not ordinary, but this is a community saying, 'We're going to take care of you.' I am one of those least fortunate people. Am I proud of it? No. Am I worried about it? A little bit."
Pharris has lived without a home for a while now. Getting to cook for people again felt like getting back to what he knows.
"I offered, and they said sure!" Pharris laughed. "I like cooking! As long as I feel useful, I'm happy. Give me a couple months, I'll have a roof over my head."
Pharris carried an emotional look his face.
"Am I cooking more onions?" he asked.
The look could be from cooking those onions, but it could also be getting to work with all these people.
"I've been cooking onions, sausage, tomatoes, tom-ah-toes, whatever you wanna call em!" Pharris laughed.
On a November morning in Cookeville, it was good to be the man with the spatula.
For a list of upcoming The Giving Griddle events, visit here.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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