Expand Church or Non-Profit Outreach with a BBQ Concession Trailer

Churches and non-profits are always looking for ways to expand their community outreach, whether feeding the homeless, helping those in the midst of a disaster or spreading the word about their organization through community giving. Many outreaches are finding that taking food to those in need is a better alternative to the needy having to find their way to their organization’s location.

BBQ concession trailers fulfill and expand the outreach of these churches and non-profits. Why BBQ? For several reasons:

Barbeque is loved by young and old, and most cultures. It is a great cross-over food, making it one of the best street foods to serve.

A BBQ concession trailer or BBQ smoker trailer is one of the easiest for volunteers to learn to do well. Most people barbeque in the backyard for families and friends.
There are thousands of quick and easy recipes to find online. Many people have favorites of their own that can easily be accommodated for large groups of people.
Menus can be kept short and simple, yet be fulfilling and delicious. You can alternate between pork, beef or chicken and can be served as finger food or in sandwiches. Chicken is a great alternative for neighborhoods dominated by people with religious food restrictions.
Menu sides can be as simple as coleslaw and fries with a slice of warm pie. Add a bottle of water and the meal is complete.
Serving supplies are simple with a heavy duty paper plate and plastic silverware. Just provide a trash can.
You can purchase a custom BBQ trailer setup that allows you to alternate your menu between beef, pork or chicken, as well as different sides, if you so choose.
Most importantly, BBQ gives off a great smell that waifs throughout the area, enticing those more reluctant individuals to come forward for a hot meal and a bit of friendship. Talk about great marketing!

Who Is Using Concession Trailers for Outreach?

Though food trucks have been used for several years by disaster relief non-profits, such as the Red Cross and Operational Blessings International, concession trailers are reaching a similar popularity.

They can expand an outreach much easier with more flexibility than past available options of distribution by private truck or van. Because of their size and complete kitchen, you have the option to do beforehand prep or complete in-trailer prep. Everything you need is right there at your finger tips. The increased space and mobility means a greater outreach, feeding more people without having to return to home base for more food, and serving it hot rather than lukewarm.

An associate minister in Texas takes hot meals to different shelters twice a month. Some churches serve on the streets on a weekly basis. Schedules always depend on volunteer availability and willingness, as well as funding.

Churches are feeding hot meals to people in need anywhere from 80 to 750 meals each week. Disaster relief agencies feed over 10,000 meals during a single disaster, usually lunch and dinner, throughout the affected area.

Concession Nation has built concession trailers and trucks for many non-profit organizations. Here are just a few:

The Prayer Hut
Food Bank in Oklahoma
Pineywoods Baptist Encampment in Texas
RWH Foundation
AmiKids
Bill Rice Ranch’s West Branch ministry in Northern Arizona
Journey Church in Oklahoma
Gateway Church in Arizona
Resources Used

A BBQ concession trailer is easy to set up and a more affordable solution than a restaurant.

The effort is staffed completely with volunteers from the church and community, including corporate employees. The gatherings to do food prep, staff the trailer each run, and fundraising efforts increase the camaraderie among those involved. It gives a sense of purpose and spiritual well being from showing those in despair that someone cares and loves them. Relationships are sometimes developed between the volunteers and those they serve, especially when they all share the meal together. And after the meal for those who wish to stay, they can participate in a prayer and healing service. Few homeless and impoverished people have the resources to attend a church or feel comfortable doing so.

So if you are looking to expand or begin a community outreach for your church or non-profit, consider a mobile BBQ concession alternative.