Volunteer teamwork results in success at St. James’ soup kitchen
FRIDAY NIGHTS at St. James’ bring together volunteers to provide hot meals for the indigent.
The hot meals that some 120 or so “customers” enjoy on Fridays nights are prepared and served by a volunteer cadre of St. James’ Episcopal Church members and friends.
“My job is making the egg salad sandwiches,” Alice Strickland told us. Others do the shopping, make the soup, green salad, cole slaw, pasta or beans, and purchase rolls, bread and dessert. Father Tom Discavage does the food shopping.
For the Friday before the Thanksgiving holiday, a special meal was prepared. Jeff McManus cooked and carved the turkey, and other donors supplied the pumpkin pies.
The church fellowship hall is the setting for these dinners which also draw volunteers from local schools and Wilshire Rotary Club. Elizabeth Harris, who has shopped, cooked, served and cleaned up for the past 13 years, says it’s uplifting to see the gratitude from the diners.
She has seen the program grow from only sandwiches on the menu to a four-course dinner. Other volunteers have provided musical entertainment the first Friday of each month. It wouldn’t be a success without the work of our organizers—Charles Morrison, Peter Saenz, Ann Welch and Sonny Szatos, Harris added.
Volunteer Tim Wood said “I’ve been working at St James’ {soup kitchen} for a few years, and I know I receive far more than I could ever give. There is so much love and support from the clients and the other volunteers; not a week goes by when I don’t leave feeling better about myself, my community and my world.”
