TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Church Serves Food, Dignity To Needy

ADVERTISEMENT

By LAURA KINSLER lkinsler@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 15, 2008

DADE CITY - The Love One Another food program, launched in September by the Dade City Youth Council and First Baptist Church, is all about dignity.

It's about having valet service, so a person coming to eat doesn't have to worry about having his bike stolen.

It's about giving someone a hand-sewn bag to fill with toothbrushes, shampoo and razors.

It's about eating as many helpings as you want.

So, whatever you do, don't call the Sunday dinner service a soup kitchen.

"We're not a soup kitchen," said Lucy Avila, assistant to the pastor and a driving force behind the 5-week-old program. "They sit down, and we serve them. We want them to feel like our guests."

The Rev. Ed Kuffel, who challenged his congregation to start a weekly meal service for the needy, said it was Avila who decided to serve the food restaurant-style.

"She has a tendency to take things a step further and see to those little details," he said.

Teaming up with the city's youth council helped the new program reserve the dining room at the Pasco County Community Nutrition Center Sunday afternoons from 1:30 to 3:30.

Nobody knew how many people to expect. The first Sunday, the group prepared 100 meals. Twelve people showed up. In four weeks, though, the number of guests quadrupled, and volunteers served 136 meals, including to-go boxes.

"The need has always been there," Avila said.

"At first, we were thinking it would just be for the homeless, but with this economy, you never know who needs a meal. It could be your next-door neighbor. People are losing their jobs. There are people who have to choose between paying the light bill and buying groceries."

Hotels donated toiletry items. Olga's Bakery donates bread and doughnuts. A dentist contributed toothbrushes. A feed store donated dog food. All donations are tax-deductable.

Volunteers prepare and serve the food.

They also sit with the diners and get to know them.

"This whole thing is about developing relationships with these people," Avila said. "We don't ask them if Jesus is their personal savior. It's not about that. Right now, there is a need, and the need is to feed them."

Church member Dot Turner formed a bond with Webb Turner, who brings a harmonica or keyboard to play during Sunday dinner. They talk about art and music.

The Homeless Coalition of Pasco County estimates there are 4,075 homeless people living in Pasco County, including 1,425 children.

Thousands more live in poverty, such as Lee Coker, who moved his wife and daughters to Dade City a month ago. They lived in their car for the first week and rely on charitable organizations for assistance.

United Way's Becky Scarlato said the number of families who need food assistance is growing, particularly in east Pasco. "We've seen a 51 percent increase this year in people requesting food assistance," she said.

Some people don't want to admit they come because they're hungry. One woman says she comes because she doesn't like to cook on Sundays. Others say they come for the fellowship or to keep a relative company.

Henry Newman, on the other hand, said he sometimes goes days without eating.

He gave the beef tips with noodles five stars. He ate two servings, plus a couple of boiled eggs. He got a to-go box and a loaf of bread. It was the first hot meal he had eaten in a week.

"I felt like I was at a restaurant," he said. "I felt like a king."

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Love One Another outreach ministry

WHERE: Pasco County Community Services Nutrition Center, 13853 15th St., Dade City
HOURS: Sundays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

CONTACT: Visit www.love-one-another.org or call Lucy Avila at (352) 424-4972.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT