Men Who Cook returns to Albion on Sunday, Feb. 8, offering a generous lunchtime meal and a chance for neighbors to come together in support of a long-running community tradition. The annual fundraiser begins at 12:30 p.m. and benefits Citizens to Beautify Albion, an organization known for its work planting flowers, adding park benches, and improving public spaces throughout the city.

Now in its 39th year, Men Who Cook is built around a simple idea: men in the community prepare a dish and share it with their neighbors. Ticket sales and donations help raise yearly funds that support beautification projects residents see throughout Albion. Over the years, the event has become one of those days when people show up not just to eat, but to visit, reconnect, and enjoy being together.

Citizens to Beautify Albion was founded by Richard and Elverta Weatherford, whose vision of service focused on making Albion a more welcoming place. In addition to organizing fundraisers, the couple helped plant flowers along roadways and encouraged hands-on volunteerism. Elverta Weatherford, who was blind, played the piano and joined her husband in visiting senior centers to bring music and companionship to residents. In the early years of Men Who Cook, she also welcomed guests at the door, helping set the tone for an event rooted in hospitality and inclusion.

That legacy continues today through volunteers such as Juanita Solis-Kidder and Shantella Stemaly, who help coordinate cooks and organize the event. Organizers say they are still welcoming men who would like to cook or help serve. Participants can bring a main dish, side dish, bread, or dessert, and typically stay to serve until their dish is gone. Desserts tend to go first, and there are always plenty of hungry guests.

The meal is intended as a hearty lunch, leaving the evening free for Super Bowl plans. Many guests enjoy arriving early to sample a wide variety of dishes and visit before heading home later in the day.

For those heading out, the event will be held at First Baptist Church, 980 Haven Road, Albion. From downtown, travel south on South Hannah Street, pass the sledding hill at Victory Park, and turn left at the dead end. Continue about a half mile, and the church will be on the right.  The event hours are 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Men Who Cook is one of those days when Albion comes together to enjoy good food and familiar faces, joining other shared moments such as the Festival of the Forks and the music and theater events that draw people together in every season.