Rising senior Rachel O'Connor helps pack cookies at a soup kitchen at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. Photo by Christine Choi.
Familiar and new faces arrive at approximately four o’clock on Wednesday evenings to await the meals to be served at Blessed Sacrament’s soup kitchen. Whether members of the church or not, members of the community volunteer and receive services offered by the church.
Bread, desserts, fruits, vegetables, and everything else is donated by local grocery stores such as Martin’s, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Food Lion, and also by members of the church. Soup Kitchen attendees slowly fill up Johnston Hall and greet each other and fill each other in on their past week. Although vegetable soup has been on the menu often, they do not seem to mind. The soup is filled with carrots, celery, meat, tomatoes, beans, and macaroni noodles. They all devour it and come back for seconds or take some to-go to share with their kids at home.
Before each meal, everybody in the room bows their head down as someone leads them in prayer to bless and thank God for the food that has been made. During the meal, volunteers mingle with people, trying to hold conversations and offer friendship, if they’re willing. As soon as dessert arrives at the long table of food, it turns into a first come first serve. Piles of pies and cakes are stacked on plates and wrapped to take home.
The next Wednesday, Johnston hall was filled with yard sale items so the meal was served as a buffet to-go style. Soup Kitchen attendees cupped their hands against their temples and peeked through the glass door as their patience wore thin, waiting for the clock to turn to four.
Wife of the coordinator (Pete DeSmit) and volunteer Liz DeSmit has been helping out at the soup kitchen for ten years. Her children Meg and Zach help out every now and then while her husband helps prepare and serve food every week.
“People in general are really appreciative. It’s like a real community working here. I’ve gotten to know a lot of faces and I have an idea of who they are,” DeSmit says.
She makes small talk with a man who says he works at the recreational center cleaning up the workout machinery and basketball courts. He proudly states he’s a true Turner Ashby fan and he chuckles, showing off his one toothed but genuine smile. After everybody’s gone through the line once, they all stand around; taking small bites from their bologna and cheese sandwiches and sips from their “Rocky top” brand canned cola. Waiting for the call for seconds at 4:45, everybody stands around the stairs and table staring blankly at the food. As soon as the clock turned to 4:42, Liz allows everybody to come for seconds. They come running still chewing mouthfuls of food.
“Can I please have another crunch bar? Is it okay if I take a couple more sandwiches for my granddaughter?” One man says. The answer was yes. The silver trays are lined with a bed of sandwiches and desserts for days. Many volunteers let people take as much as they wish, breaking DeSmit’s rule of one per tray. Some still stand around for thirds, fourths, and last calls to get rid of much food as possible.
“Take whatever you’d like. Take some sandwiches for your lunch at work, whatever you do, don’t take anything that will be thrown away.” DeSmit says.
Everybody bikes or walks off, carrying plastic bags filled with pretzels, sweets, crackers, and snacks, thanking us multiple times for the smallest things.
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