What is the secret to our success?  We Start with the Best Ingredients 
1.  A passionate part time staff who love their jobs who work with caring people to make a positive impact in the community. An assistant director, JoAnne Boss,  who manages the dining room and schedules volunteers  for at least 20 positions each week.  JoAnne listens to guests, makes referrals, and keeps everything organized. Two amazing cooks who guide volunteers in preparing, serving, and cleaning up after meals.  Our cooks are flexible - never exactly knowing what food will be available that morning.  They are creative using ingredients to the fullest, most nutritious way possible and always making something delicious. Our work is supported by our custodian who makes sure the floors are swept and mopped, trash emptied, chairs and tables are set up and ready to go, and everything is clean and sanitary. A Board of Directors who cares, provides vision and support, along with financial oversight and fundraising events - like this one. 


2.  An amazing volunteer staff of over 170 people, who freely give of their time to make sure every person who comes to us is welcomed, invited to a place at the table prepared for them, follow guidance from our cooks, and deliver the plate of goodness to each guest. Each volunteer kitchen crew brings a fresh perspective, an infections energy that makes meal prep a joy.  Lots of laughter, deep conversation, and friendships have blossomed at the kitchen.  Each year volunteers give over 3500 hours each year.


3. Dependable partners who provide valuable assistance to our mission - offering kitchen and dining room use. The Greater Lansing Food Bank providing good quality food basics - canned goods, non-perishables, fresh fruit and veg and dairy at no cost to us - a savings of over $30,000 each year over retail. MDOT who hold a large fundraiser each year to support our mission financially.  One of our newest partners is Valuland at Colonial Village each month patrons donate between $25-$35 in the donation box placed by their door.  The Spartan/Nash Foundation conducted a regester scan when patrons could choose to donate 1, 5, 10, 20 at the regester, the store surpassed it's goal and a donation of $2000 was made to SCK.  Local churches, local foundations, organizations and  businesses, and individuals who invest in our efforts through grants, bequests, and donations of money and goods.


Because our community invests in our mission, we are in the midst of our- Going Green in 2019 - inititave. After years of using disposable foam plate and cups - 1200 or so a month we replaced our foam plates with three compartment reusable melamine plates and reduced our waste from 4 1/2 trash cans full to 2 trash cans and we are saving money by not using foam.  Last month, we replaced our foam coffee cups with real coffee mugs - another savings of money and trash.


All of these ingredients come together to meet the need of 1 in 5 people in our community who suffer from food insecurity. These are community members who for a variety of reasons find themselves unable to adequately feed themselves.  Chronic or short term physical and or mental health issues, substance abuse, released convicts,  retired folks, widows and widowers, grandparents taking care of adult children and grand children, school age children in the summertime especially, divorced women, divorced men, people living in their cars, people living in sheds, the homeless, the forgotten. The working poor, entire families relocating, immigrants, refugees.  We see everyone, the only thing our guests may have in common is hunger.  Everyone gathered around the tables - laughter, conversations, sharing challenges, and joys.  To these folks hunger is not an issue --it is their life.


Through our work with people who hunger, we build relationships.  Our guests have positive interaction and conversations with our guests. We are all much richer and have a better undersatnding of what hunger does, what hunger is, and how to fight hunger.


I believe that as important that serving meals to people in need, it is our responsibility to be advocates for all people who hunger.  We must tell the story, put a face on hunger because to us it's real - not an abstract concept.  That is one of the reasons you are here today - we want you to know about hunger, about our work and hope that you will become an advocate.  Work to change our systems of injustice that put barriers preventing people from the ability to pay for groceries - for medication- for utilities, for housing. 

In the back of my mind I knew it would happen one day.  Yesterday was the day. Actually, two things converged to make it a difficult day.  The first, I arrived with the meal at our Galilee serving site, to find our volunteers who help set up and serve the meal didn’t arrive.  After bringing in the food, I got to work helping Joann set up the chairs, sanitize the tables, set out the place settings, fill the water pitchers and ready for our guests.

Then I organized our serving table and system.  We managed to get things ready just a couple of minutes late.  After our prayer, we began serving at 11:34.  I dished up the plates and Joann took the plates to each guest and served beverages.  At first it didn’t look like we would have very many diners and then the second wave of hungry people arrived about 12:00 noon.  I started cutting back on the portions – only one spoonful of ham and potato casserole, half a spoonful of fruit salad, half a spoon full of broccoli salad instead of 2 spoonfuls of entree and whole spoonfuls of fruit and salad.  We had 48 pieces of cake and served it all, then went for the reserve desserts-doughnuts. 

The last 2 people received a half a spoonful of fruit and a doughnut. 

The final 2 people who came in heard, “I’m so sorry, we are out of food, I only have a doughnut to offer you.”  She responded, “That’s OK we’ll stop at McDonalds.”

“I’m so sorry, we are out of food.”  This is what deep in my heart, I knew might happen one day.  Other times we have been close to running out but each time during our serving time we had just enough for our guests.  But yesterday, we ran out. And our guests were so gracious.  Instead of a nutritious, well-balanced generous meal – they were offered a doughnut.

One of our regular guests over heard our conversation and blurted out, “Isn’t this where hungry people come to be fed?”  I know – well, I hope he meant it as a joke.  It was a cruel joke.  I felt really bad about running out – I started to question if I had served each guest too much- If I’d only been stingier we might we have had enough? Where were our “Loaves and fishes?”  The reality is, we had more guests than usual.  It is hard to predict how many people we will have on any given day. We do our best to anticipate need and adjust to meet those needs. But, on very rare days, like yesterday, we come up short.

The most heart wrenching part of my work with the Southside Community Kitchen is looking into a hungry person’s eyes and saying, “I’m so sorry, we are out of food.” It’s especially difficult, when I know that in our pantry we have additional food that could be prepared and served. However, at Galilee Baptist Church serving site, we don’t have the facility, nor the pantry to prepare food.  We do keep some granola bars on hand – just in case.  I pray that I will never have to say to a guest, “I’m so sorry, we are out of food.”

Your contributions to the Southside Community Kitchen, in time and your donations help us to feed over 200 hungry people a week.  You make sure that we have food in our pantry; we do our best to prepare food in a quantity that is generous but not wasteful. Throwing out food is heartbreaking.  This was the first time in over 6 months we had to turn anyone away.  Our goal is to feed all hungry people who come to us for help. Please pray with me that we will always be able to feed hungry people in need and please include the growing numbers of people who suffer from hunger in our community.

                                                     

Guest:  “You don’t have to do this.” 

Me: “Excuse me?”

Guest: “You don’t have to do this, do you?”

As director of the Southside Community Kitchen, my weekly duties include creating the menu, purchasing food, equipment and supplies, transporting and serving food from our kitchen to our second serving site.  So far on this day I had done all of this—before 11:30 am.  After a day of rushing around, taking care of business so we could be ready to serve lunch to our guests at 11:30, hearing, “You don’t have to do this,” stopped me in my tracks.

One of our regular guests, a lovely African American grandmother, very quiet and kind broke through my business with these words.  “You don’t have to do this.”  Between my thoughts of how many more plates to bring to the table, and beverage orders, and trying not to drop plates of food on the floor, I was being called out. “You don’t have to do this.”  I responded, “Excuse me?  What do you mean I don’t have to do this?” 

She said simply, “You don’t have to do this do you?”

Honestly, no I didn’t have to be doing this – or did I?  I have a loving family, I have a college degree, I have a good work history, I have a nice home, money for food, transportation, and clothes.  I could be doing something else with my time, except my faith journey has led me to this. Being open to the spirits call, taking the teachings of Jesus seriously, and living with intention has led me to this work with people living at the margins of society.  I choose to do this work because I have been called to feed his lambs.

• People who every day struggle mightily just to get out of bed because of age, infirmity, chronic disease, or injury. 
• People who have fallen through the cracks in our education system, our healthcare system, our society, or are stuck in destructive patterns and situations. 
• People who have faced trauma, addiction, and abuse and experienced the chains of poverty.
• People who don’t quite fit into society neatly and completely.
• People who lack the skills, will, or physical ability to prepare meals at home.
• People who are starved for love attention.
• People who hunger for fellowship and a place in the community.
• People who seek a free meal and who find nourishment for their spirits.

These are the people I work with each day.  I look into their hungry eyes. I pray for each one as I serve. I strive to share the love of Christ in every conversation, with every plate of food delivered, with every encounter.  I know I will probably never experience the hardship many of guests have lived through. 

Our guest was right – my life includes choices – and I choose to do this work not because I must, but because I am able.

Everyone who comes to the Southside Community Kitchen has a place at our table.  As our guests leave, I pray they have found more than food in this place. I pray they have made some deeper connections, set down some of their burdens, and leave knowing they are a beloved child of God.  I am so grateful for all the churches, individuals, grants, and those who give of the time and money to support our vital mission.

 Who are the people in your neighborhood?  Who do you see? Driving past the corner of I496 and Pennsylvania, I pass again yet another “unfortunate soul” yielding a sign – “will work for food”, “pregnant and hungry”, “unemployed father of 4- any help is appreciated”, “God bless”. 

It makes me uncomfortable and as I drive past I look away. I tell myself that, “I contribute to organizations that fight hunger, advocate for those on the margins and I’ve done my part”.  Yet, inside I know it’s not enough.  I know I could do more. How do I respond?  Usually, I hope that the light remains or turns green as I pass that corner.

I pass “Guitar man” (corner of Mt. Hope and Pennsylvania), now in a wheelchair and leg brace, he strums in rain, snow, and howling wind for whatever people throw in his bucket.  I really have no idea what he plays or sings, but he is out there trying to keep warm and make enough to survive another day.

I see others near Frandor dressed as the statue of liberty, a slice of pizza, or other commercial sign standing for hours waving and trying to solicit business. First I wonder about the effectiveness, and then I wonder at the indignity of such costumes, and then I feel compassion for these souls standing trying to make a living.

I am taking a step to deal more directly with these folks. In my new position as Executive Director of the Southside Community Kitchen, I am able to work with community members to feed the hungry, nutritious meals 4 days a week- no questions, no paperwork, no standing in line.  Any one desiring a hot meal is welcomed, invited to take a seat, and are served meals by volunteers.  No strings, no paperwork, no judgments, no exceptions.

The Southside Community Kitchen is supported financially by individuals, community grants, over 35 area churches and organizations through donations of time, money, and food.  In addition, Christ United Methodist Church donates the use of their kitchen and provides pantry area and custodian assistance. Galilee Baptist Church provides an additional dining site two days a week.

Over 100 volunteers, serve throughout the year – many from local churches, making this one of the largest ecumenical efforts in our community.  We all come together to alleviate hunger, help our guests stretch their meager budgets, warmly welcome all and build friendships between and among volunteers, guests, congregations, and organizations.

I see hunger everyday in the eyes and faces of our guests here in my neighborhood– Eugene, Dorothy, Allan, Eleana, Arnold. I know that the Southside Community Kitchen makes a difference to the health and well being of our guests – as well as our volunteers.

We invite you to become a partner in our mission to feed the hungry by making a generous donation of money or time to provide meals to Lansing’s hungry people.

We are a 501 (3) © non-profit organization, who for over 25 years have been successfully meeting the needs of hungry people.  Make checks payable to: Southside Community Kitchen and mail to: PO Box 80844, Lansing, MI 48908-0844

 “Lord, When have we seen you hungry and thirsty and did not help you? “Matthew 25:44

If you would like to learn more about SCK please contact Executive Director, Marcia Beer at

517 375 2977 or visit our website at www.southsidecommunitykitchen.org.