ROCKLAND — As Rockland restaurateur Lynn Archer prepares for a third week of providing free meals at the Brass Compass, she is proudly able to say the first two weeks of her free meal initiative was a success. 

This week marks the third consecutive week Archer, who owns Archer’s on the Pier and Brass Compass, will be providing free meals to anyone who shows up to the pickup window at her Main Street business seeking food to feed themselves or their families. 

Though many people and organizations have been finding ways to help the community, Archer’s endeavor falls in line with what she has modeled much of her business career around: treating her customers like family, as her website for Archer’s on the Pier states. 

The program kicked off April 1 with servings of haddock chowder with attendees able to receive a pint or a quart “or whatever might feed their family,” according to Archer.  

For the second week of the program Archer served up lobster macaroni and cheese April 8. 

This week, Archer will be serving homemade chicken pot pie with biscuit topping April 15. 

Each of her food giveaways are held on Wednesdays, for the length of the pandemic, from noon until the food is gone. 

Those who are able to and wish to may leave a donation with Archer when picking up their food with all of the donation money being forwarded to the Area Interfaith Outreach food pantry.

Through two weeks, Archer has been able to provide AIO with more than $1,600 in donations. 

The response to the initiative has been overwhelmingly positive with a Facebook post announcing the launch of the program receiving nearly 400 likes/loves, approximately 80 positive comments and a little more than 30 shares. 

Reach George Harvey at: sports@penbaypilot.com.