Ageny Spotlight: Cathedral Soup Kitchen

Submitted June 22, 2011 by Patty Cortellini | 0 comments

The Cathedral Soup Kitchen (located behind the Saints Peter & Paul Cathedral) started in the late 1920’s during the Great Depression. It initially began with peanut butter sandwiches being handed out to the many persons in need. This evolved into early morning coffee and doughnuts. In the ‘70’s, a Sunday meal was provided. During the 1980s space was given in the old Cathedral Elementary School to combine both efforts. In the early 1990s the daily Breakfast Program added a morning meal and a brunch meal as well as the beginning of a food pantry.

Today they serve seven days a week (3,200 meals a month or 41,600 meals a year). Every Tuesday and Thursday they open their food pantry doors to serve 1,080 households per month. Their main mission is the same today as it was almost 100 years ago: to reach out to the homeless, the needy, the poor and the marginalized in their neighborhoods by offering food, respect, encouragement, prayers and goodwill.

During my visit I witnessed their mission in action. When I walked in the kitchen I witnessed a process that reminded me of a well oiled machine. Everyone was busy - cooking, serving, cleaning and chatting, all with one purpose in mind - to feed the adjacent room full of people. At the direction of Dr. Margie Pike, director of Cathedral Soup Kitchen, everything stopped and all went into the dining room for a short prayer. After that the feeding began. The volunteers stood behind the self serve lines making sure the trays are full, nicely presented, and that all the guests’ requests were filled. The kitchen and dining room were extremely busy, yet one could feel the love and happiness in the air. The workers were there because they wanted to be and wanted to serve. The homeless guests were appreciative, funny, engaging and genuine.

Second Helpings delivers eight pans of food which is served on Thursdays. The food pantry is open that day, so there are more people to feed. Upon leaving I was convinced that its places like Cathedral Kitchen that give us purpose, and yet remind us that we all are here to help one another.

-Patty Cortelini, Second Helpings' Agency Liaison
 

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