Feeding a need: Geneva church kicks off meal ministry
Your wallet may be running on empty this holiday season, but that doesn't mean your stomach has to as well.
Banking on the idea that if you cook it, they will come, church volunteers at Geneva's United Methodist Church held their first "Third Tuesday Supper" last month in the church's dining hall. Their efforts were met with astounding success.
"One hundred and fifty people showed up and it absolutely amazed us. It was beyond our wildest expectations," supper organizer Beth Kucera said.
"People were really very pleased. One couple said that for their economic reasons they need to go out for a free meal as often as they can and (the Third Tuesday Supper) was the nicest they'd ever had. That really warmed our hearts."
Each supper has its own theme. The next supper, planned for Tuesday, Nov. 17, will have Thanksgiving favorites like turkey and mashed potatoes. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. anyone in the community is welcome to stop by the church's dining hall on 211 Hamilton St. for a meal.
For the 15 or so volunteers that prepare the supper meals the idea was simple: create a time and place where frazzled families, people who don't want to eat alone and those who struggle to put a full meal on the table can all sit down for an evening of free, home-cooked food.
The church thought offering a free meal to all members of the community would be one of the best ways to help people through the tough economic climate. They decided to utilize church funds to purchase foodstuffs like chicken, potatoes and vegetables for a traditional family-style dinner.
The church sent volunteers out to wholesale grocery stores as well as to area bakeries, looking for the most cost-effective fresh products.
"We decided that each meal has to be very good, home cooked and tasty. We're not going to be putting food on people's plates that is not very appetizing. So, if we have to work a little harder and a little longer we're OK with that," Kucera said.
While many people agree that the food is top-notch, for people like Sue Nelson, it's the atmosphere at the Third Tuesday Supper that leaves them craving more.
"I had a very, very good dinner. It was a nice, open relaxed feeling. The parishioners opened their church to the community and it was very heartwarming," Nelson said.
Nelson, 62, attends Geneva Lutheran Church but was invited by a friend to attend the Third Tuesday Supper at United Methodist.
"I think (a free community meal) is a wonderful idea and I would even like to see my church delve into something like that," Nelson said.
Kucera agrees. She hopes that in the future, free community suppers will become more common.
"I hope that other community groups in the Fox Valley would also consider developing programs like this," she said.
"It certainly takes time and organization but it would be just great if we could have one free meal at a church every week in this area."
For details, visit thirdtuesdaysuppers.com.