My Friends Forever

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral's Wednesday Community Meal is very special. It's a place full of love and compassion, where friends work side by side to prepare and serve a meal to friends in need.

Everyone is invited inside to sit, relax and eat.  The meal is free, no questions asked and everyone is treated with kindness and respect.

It's been an important part of my life since 2004. In the beginning it was just my friend Fred and I handing out sack lunches. Later, with Trinity's support, it evolved to be a hot lunch in a take out box and finally in 2008, a four course meal served inside beautiful Kempton Hall.

Inviting our guests inside changed everything. It was the right thing to do. It enabled us to spend more time with our guests and we got to know and love them. They are real people. They are fathers, mothers, daughters and sons and they shouldn't have to suffer.  They deserve to eat and enjoy delicious and nutritious food and they deserve respite from the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter. 

Today was my last day at the meal and I am going to miss everyone so much. Volunteering has enriched my life in so many ways. I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to be a part of such a special program. Being with my friends each Wednesday is something I looked forward to and something I will miss terribly.

I am moving to Connecticut in June with my family but I will never forget my family at The Wednesday Community Meal.


Here are my teammates who served 287 meals today:

Linda

Ione

Tiffany

Mary

Jay

Steve

Linda

Barbara

Sandy

Veronica

Craig (He's always making us laugh.)

Frank, Barbara, Helen and Diane

Bill and Kevin

Dave

Fred

Cindy

Martha

John and Leah

Dan and Dean

Virgina

Anne

Kate

Gwen

Davis

Ann

Vicky and Joyce

Mary (She has been such a wonderful support to me. Mary is the very first volunteer to arrive and gets us started each week, moving our ingredients from our downstairs pantry into the kitchen.)

A Place For Everyone

As I was working in the kitchen today, I caught a glimpse of four guests in the dining room chatting and laughing as they ate together at The Wednesday Community Meal.

 I could tell they were really having a good time together and it made me so happy. It was a reminder that our free weekly meal at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is about so much more than just the food — though we did serve roasted pork, enchiladas and Key Lime bars for dessert!

Roasted pork, rice and roasted summer squash and eggplant.

Enchiladas, chips and roasted zucchini.

Key Lime Bars.

Spirits need nourishment as well, and friendships and fellowship are essential for our well-being. Belly-laughs are very good for everyone!

When you are homeless, it's nearly impossible to find a place of joy, a place where you are welcome to stay.

Think about it, if you had no home, where could you go and not be told to leave?

It's a problem in our community and elsewhere that needs addressing. Those without a home, they are real people, not statistics, and they need our care and attention.

I know the Wednesday Community Meal is just a once a week band-aid for a much larger problem but it at least helps. The meal is a place for everyone.

We served 437 meals today and everyone who came to our door was greeted, seated and treated with kindness and respect.

Oven S'mores and Roasted Pork Loin

Today's entree of roasted pork loin.

It was a busy day at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral's Wednesday Community Meal. We served 371 meals and there was a constant line to get inside until the last half hour of our two-hour lunch service, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The first 140 guests were treated to an entree of roasted pork loin, rice and baked pears. The gorgeous lean pork loins were generously purchased by Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and turned out so tender and delicious. We seasoned them with a homemade rub made with cumin, chili powder, garlic and salt and then baked them in a 325-degree oven until they were done and the outsides were golden brown crispy goodness. Then of course we had to make the meal even better by utilizing the drippings to make a rich gravy.

For dessert we served S'mores made in the oven. We just set graham crackers on a sheetpan, topped them with a large marshmallow and then put them in the oven for 3 minutes until the marshmallows were hot and soft. Then all we did was add a piece of Hershey's milk chocolate and another graham cracker and we had a dessert that the guests loved.

Topping the hot marshmallows with chocolate. These just need another graham cracker and they'll be ready to serve.

It was also fun to witness volunteer Dean having his very first taste of a S'more. He's 74 and had never had one before!

Dean after having his very first taste of a S'more which he said was delicious. He's so much fun!

Later, we served enchiladas, salmon, fried fish, chicken skewers and meatloaf, all donated by Good Samaritan Hospital. We are so blessed to have them as a gleaning partner.

Salmon donated by Good Samaritan Hospital.

We also offered everyone soup and salad. Longtime volunteer Martha took on heating and serving the soup and volunteer John made the salads that were extra special today because they were topped with crispy bacon and Parmesan cheese. It was a great meal.

The salads.