The Hope Dining Room, located in the basement of the Kingswood United Methodist Church, Brookside Park, provides a free hot noontime meal with dignity for all who are hungry. They have been in operation since 1983, and rely on volunteers to keep the effort going. St. Thomas’s and St. Nicholas have come together to help this effort. On the third Monday of every month, a small team from our parishes join to feed those in our community who need help. It’s typically a 2 hour task, from 10 a.m.-noon.
The menu varies throughout the month and each serving group determines the meal but include a protein, vegetable, starch and dessert. Something that makes the meals that our group provides special is the veggies; they come from the St. Nicholas garden! Last year, the harvest continued into November 2020. What a blessing!
At this time, all serving is done as a “grab and go” lunch, outside. Normally, the Dining Room provides a safe place to sit down and be served a hot meal and have conversations with others. Friends and contacts are also made. They expect to go back to a seated meal sometime this fall. This is when we will need more volunteers to help with serving and cleaning. Right now, masks are optional and social distancing is practiced.
You could donate to the cause by dropping a check at either church, with “Hope Dining Room” on the memo line. You could be a one-time volunteer, or sign up by the month, if the day we work is convenient for you (3rd Monday). If you would like to be on the volunteer list, please email Madeline at mad1240@comcast.net. It’s also helpful to spread the word. Please let your friends and neighbors know about this resource, so they can also help to share this relief with others.
Hope Dining Room provides a needed service to the community, not just to feed the homeless, but also to
provide a lift for those who may just need a few meals per week covered, to help them stretch their funds further. All who come are warmly welcomed, and there are no questions asked.
If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to Madeline Johnson at mad1240@comcast.net.