NORWAY — The Board of Selectmen is bringing a proposal to voters this month to support the Progress Center’s plan to renovate and expand its community kitchen to feed 200 people three times a week.

Selectmen have unanimously supported the plan that was recently outlined by Progress Center Director Deb Anthony. They hope to set a special town meeting later this month to have voters approve a $120,000 Community Development Block Grant for the Progress Center kitchen project. The Progress Center has been serving hundreds of people with disabilities for the last 42 years, most recently on Cottage Street in several renovated buildings that was formerly a lumber yard.

“It just adds to our community and what we want to be — a small town,” said Selectwoman Irene Millett after the board unanimously approved the move to act as the nonprofit funding agent on behalf of the Progress Center, pending town meeting approval.

Anthony said the expanded kitchen will help feed hundreds of low-income people, be used by several local area farmers and other local entrepreneurial groups.

“It will be a shared kitchen that can be used by anyone in the community,” Anthony said.

In her proposal to the Office of Community Development, Anthony said there are very few resources in the Oxford Hills region to feed the hungry, so in October of 2008, the Progress Center decided to take action by starting a community kitchen in a space donated by a local church.

“Having gone from 40 meals that first week to 120 meals served these past few weeks, we realize that even more needs to be done,” she wrote in the funding application letter on Jan. 21 to the director of the Office of Community Development. About 10 percent of the meals were provided to disadvantaged teens and 40 percent to elderly people, with nearly 100 patrons very low income, according to Anthony.

The plan calls for renovation of the kitchen on Cottage Street to house facilities for commercial cooking, food storage and space for 200 patrons to dine three times a week.

“It will serve a multitude of purposes,” Anthony explained. She said there would be no change to the exterior of the building.

Anthony wrote in her application that in the past year, the community kitchen had provided employment for up to 10 people with disabilities. If the plan is carried out, she said the center expects to employ about 30 people with disabilities.

The Board of Selectmen hope to set a town meeting for Feb. 18.

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