In the Soup

More than a Meal

2009-11-29T01:57:00.000-05:00

" 'A Fantastic Thanksgiving' at Mother Marianne's."

That was the headline in The Observer-Dispatch this past Friday (Nov. 27).

A reporter and a photographer visited the soup kitchen, mingling with volunteers and guests, and then visited the Rescue Mission across town.

Soup kitchen director Deacon Gil Nadeau told the reporter they expected to serve 200 meals of hot turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and vegetables. The scene was festive. Guests were feasting and chatting and sometimes swaying to tunes emanating from Sister Roberta Southwick's keyboard and mic.

One guest summed it up for the reporter:

"Being here makes it a fantastic Thanksgiving. These people here are just wonderful."

At the Rescue Mission, volunteers were serving nearly 300 turkey dinners and delivering another 600 to the home-bound, the Rev. Bill Dodge, executive director, told news media.

It, too, was a festive scene as the lonely, the homeless, the addicted, the jobless and the working poor were treated "like family."

Both Deacon Gil and Rev. Bill agreed on one thing: Thanksgiving is more than a meal.

The best part, Deacon Gil said, "is the camaraderie, having people come in here and enjoying a nice lunch together."

Noted Rev. Bill: "The meal is important, but so is human kindness, personal warmth and fellowship."

The Franciscan Connection

2009-11-22T20:40:00.004-05:00

While in New Mexico recently, I met a man who prays and then acts. He seems to have a deep prayer life, somewhat contemplative, which opens him up to hearing the promptings of God.

His name is Don Ryder. He's a Secular Franciscan. And he was in Albuquerque to accept the National Franciscan Peace Award from the Secular Franciscan Order.

He has worked in soup kitchens and shelters. He has traveled with church groups to Jamaica to build churches, clinics, and homes for the poor. While in Jamaica, he met a missionary priest from Kenya who suggested a visit to his African homeland.

That led to a trip to Kenya to help build a church and repair homes. While there, he got to visit a Maasai tribal village in the semi-arid Great Rift Valley. Six months after returning home to Wausau, Wisconsin, Don got an email from the Vatican describing a worsening drought in Kenya. He emailed a Kenyan contact, who confirmed the Maasai were particularly hard-hit. Livestock were dying. People were sick and dying. Infant mortality was high. Maasai women had to travel by foot up to 15 miles one way to fetch water from dirty waterholes or contaminated streams. Some were getting raped enroute.

Don prayed. He decided to open the Bible at random. His eyes fell to John's Gospel, where Jesus, hanging on the cross, cries out, "I thirst."

"That impacted me," Don recalled. "It hit me that the Passion continues today with our Maasai sisters and brothers."

But he also thought, "Who am I? What can I do?"

He tried to put it out of his mind. He couldn't. A few days later he opened the Bible again, deliberately avoiding the Gospel of John. This time his fingers fell to a passage in Mathew where Jesus says, "I was thirsty and you gave me drink."

"Bam!" he said.

He recalled thinking, "I'll see what I can do, but it's in your hands, Lord."

He did some research and decided to raise money to drill a well. It would cost over $60,000.

He spoke to his parish priest about it and the parish got involved. He brought it up to Secular Franciscans and his fraternity jumped on board. Romey Wagner, the man who would become his co-leader, stepped forward.

Soon donations started coming. Coins from school children. $2,000 from a young couple. Word spread. Dollars arrived from all over the country.

They completed one well, drilling down 400 feet. It has a tank and pump house powered by a diesel engine. It's now providing clean water for between 4,000 and 5,000 Maasai and 100,000 head of cattle. Just last month they completed a second well, further north. This one is powered by a windmill. They ran pipe to a school with 400 students and are running pipe to a dispensary. Now that it will have running water, Don hopes it will be upgraded to a hospital.

Since the scarcity of water can lead to harm, even war, the Kenyan water project caught the imagination of the Peace Award Committee.

The award came with a $2,000 stipend. It didn't take long for Don to give it away, wiring it to a priest in Kenya who helped with the water project and who, with funds from the Vatican, built a church in the vicinty of the second well. But he ran out of money and couldn't furnish it. Then Don learned the priest and the people decided to dedicate the church to St. Francis of Assisi.

So now there is a St. Francis Church in Kenya's Great Rift Valley that's going to have pews and other furnishings, thanks to Don's Franciscan Peace Award.

Priest. Friar. Friend. Brother.

2009-10-18T17:53:00.004-04:00

We didn't get to know Friar Kevin Kenny, OFM Conv., until long after he had spent months in Assisi, home of Saint Francis.

We didn't get to know him until long after he had been a teacher in Pittsburgh, and vocation director at St. Francis Seminary on Staten Island.

We didn't get to know him until long after he had left New York City, where he ministered to the homeless, prostitutes and runaway kids.

We did get to know him after he was appointed director of Bl. Kateri National Shrine and Indian Museum in Fonda, NY, and especially after he was appointed spiritual assistant to the Secular Franciscans of St. Joseph Fraternity at St. Joseph-St. Patrick Church, Utica. And he got to know us. He participated in our monthly gatherings, presided at liturgical services and witnessed our professions. He listened, he shared insight and laughter, he became our brother.

When we Secular Franciscans helped launch Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen, he encouraged us to, like Dorothy Day, accept everyone coming to our door without any preconceptions, and he admonished us to avoid exploiting our guests, even if they gave permission to use a name or photo. He spoke passionately from his own soup kitchen experience in the Big Apple.

We were blessed.

And now he is blessed to be with our Lord, having embraced Sister Death on Oct. 16, 2009 at the age of 69. So, even with heavy heart, we rejoice!

Amen.

That the Imperfect Do Good...

2009-09-07T01:00:00.002-04:00

The people who volunteer at Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen would be the first to say they're far from perfect.

Yet they're compelled to feed the hungry... with compassion and cheer.

Fr. Paul English, CSB, a visiting missionary who preached at St. Joseph-St. Patrick Parish a week ago, spoke about this penchant for doing good. He acknowledged the ministries in the parish, including the soup kitchen, and went on to say:

"When we do good things, God is walking with us." That's in spite of the fact that "we are an imperfect vessel." It's as if God were saying, "I chose you to do good in the world."

Father English, who was a missionary in Mexico, says he came away far more blessed by the experience: He discovered that when different people come together, everyone grows.

"People want to do good, but sometimes don't know how...Our mission is to help them find their own dignity first."

Dorothy Day had a similar notion -- to accept everyone coming to her Catholic Worker soup kitchen without reservation... with no preconceptions. To recognize, instead, the dignity of each person, made in the image of God.

And Father English adds a twist:

"That the imperfect do good, that's the power of God."

Wayne's World

2009-09-03T00:51:00.004-04:00

Andy Lazarek was wiping down tables, occasionally chatting with soup kitchen guests Wednesday. Helping out on-and-off for a year, he is unabashed in his praise for the all-volunteer staff.

"These are the most wonderful people in the world here."

Behind Andy, Franciscan Sister Roberta Southwick, SA, was playing old tunes on an organ, serenading guests with ballads like "Heart of My Heart" and occasionally stepping up the tempo with such numbers as "La Cucaracha".

Wayne sat near the music, his duffel bag nearby and white cane at his feet. Between songs he exchanged quips and laughs with Sister Roberta.

"I call that 'Wayne's World'," she said, pointing to the duffel bag.

Wayne laughed in agreement. "That is my whole world." The rolling duffel bag not only has wheels, but also skis for winter. It contains a gazebo with tent, coats, clothes and assorted amenities. A practical outfit for a blind homeless guy.

"Did you hear Wayne is back on the streets?" whispered kitchen supervisor Joanne Lockwood, SFO.

"Yeah, I'm sleeping under the bridge again," Wayne confirmed.

He lingered, enjoying the music, even after most guests had left. A man came in and called to him, that it was time to go.

Joanne noted that the man had spoken to his landlord about giving Wayne a place to stay, and they were going over to meet him.

Andy and other volunteers (Mike McMyler, John McCabe and Betty Frank, SFO) were picking up the pace to clean up the room.

And Sister Roberta, back at the keyboard playing "Beer Barrel Polka," simply said:

"You need peppy music to clean the tables by."

Simple Necklace a Telling Sign for Teens

2009-08-20T00:59:00.006-04:00

Three teenagers spent some time making sandwiches at the soup kitchen Wednesday morning, and then made up a batch of granola to use as a yogurt topping. Peter Woolschlager, SFO, the father of two of the teens, was also helping out.

Ever since he heard about Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen at a regional Secular Franciscan meeting, Peter said, he has been thinking about stopping in to volunteer for a day, and bring some people with him. Peter lives in Croghan, well over an hour's drive north, and he brought along daughters Lillia, 13, and Adriana, 15, and their school friend, Nicole Hall, 16.

"We made salami and bologna sandwiches," quipped Lillia. "It was great."

"Poor people need to eat," said Adriana.

Added Nicole: "I just like being able to come and help people. There's not many soup kitchens up in our area."

"It's really rural," explained Peter, who is a teacher and a Secular Franciscan who heads St. Stephen's Fraternity in Croghan.

"We had a good day," he added, noting that after volunteering, they got a guided tour of St. Joseph-St. Patrick Church, Bl. Mother Marianne Chapel, Bl. Mother Marianne Shrine, and the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel.

This was not the first time that Adriana and Nicole traveled some distance to volunteer at a soup kitchen. In fact, each was proudly wearing a simple necklace of a small wooden Franciscan Tau cross on a brown cord -- gifts they received after working at St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia, where Franciscan friars and volunteers feed 350 people a day and provide an isle of peace in a neighborhood of violence and addiction.

BELOW: Peter, Lillia, Andriana and Nicole with soup kitchen supervisor Joanne Lockwood, SFO.

'It Helped Me Grow Spiritually'

2009-07-29T16:03:00.023-04:00

Volunteers at Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen often see themselves as on a spiritual journey. Take the children at St. Mary's in Clinton, who describe their coming to the soup kitchen as putting faith into action. Or the Secular Franciscans who see volunteering as part of their commitment to live the Gospel.

And there's Melissa McCann, a young college-age woman who has been showing up nearly every Wednesday since September, and who describes her experience as both fun and as a "great way to look outside of myself and see other needs in the community."

Next Wesdnesday will be her last day at the soup kitchen, as she will head to Nashville that weekend to enter the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia.

After visiting the Dominican Sisters three times over the past few months, and participating in a May vocations retreat there, Melissa formally applied to enter the order.

"I was notified of my acceptance last week," she beamed. Noting that she also had visited other orders, she said: "This is the only one I really wanted to go back to. I just knew it was the right one, where I could be myself."

She will begin a year of postulancy -- a year of living-the-life discernment -- while at the same time enrolling as a full-time student at Aquinas College, which the Dominicans own. After postulancy is a year of canonical novitiate. She would then make temporary vows for three years, and again for another two years, before making her permanent commitment. And during that time she would be working toward a teaching degree.

"We're going to miss her," said daytime supervisor Joanne Lockwood, SFO. "You couldn't give her a job that she wouldn't give herself totally to."

Noted Melissa: "I knew I wanted to enter the religious life when I started volunteering here at the soup kitchen. But it helped me grow spiritually."

PHOTO: Joanne Lockwood, SFO, with Melissa McCann

A Franciscan Journey

2009-06-24T19:25:00.004-04:00

Joanne Lockwood and Rick Roberts were already on a journey when they stepped up to become part of the organizing committee that launched Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen in March 2008.

Serving lunch Monday through Saturday to the homeless, the jobless and the working poor, and last month reaching a milestone of over 25,000 meals, the soup kitchen is a reflection of their journey -- a journey to live the Gospel life as Franciscans.

After two years of formation that included study, spiritual reflection, prayer and challenging dialogue, Joanne and Rick made their permanent profession into the Secular Franciscan Order on Sunday, June 21, during a 2 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph-St. Patrick Church.

Franciscans from the parish's St. Joseph Fraternity were there, along with family and friends, soup kitchen volunteers and even a few soup kitchen clients. Fr. Richard Dellos, pastor, and Fr. Kevin Kenny, OFM Conv., a Franciscan friar who directs the Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine in Fonda, celebrated the Mass. Father Kevin presided at the rite of profession, along with Fraternity Minister Katie Koscinski, SFO, and Formation Director Mary Stronach, SFO.

"Do you wish to embrace the gospel way of life by following the example and words of St. Francis of Assisi, which are at the heart of the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order?" Father Kevin asked.

"Yes, this is what I want," each said.

After a few more questions, each of them made the profession, declaring:

"I, (Joanne/Rick), by the grace of God, renew my baptismal promises and consecrate myself to the service of his Kingdom. Therefore, in my secular state, I promise to live all the days of my life the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Secular Franciscan Order by observing its rule of life. May the grace of the Holy Spirit, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and our holy father St. Francis, and the fraternal bonds of community always be my help, so that I may reach the goal of perfect Christian love."

"I confirm your commitment in the name of the church," Father Kevin declared.

Joanne and her husband, Richard, have three sons. As a volunteer, she is the soup kitchen's daytime supervisor. She is an avid crocheter and motorcycle enthusiast. She has been primarily a homemaker and, for two years, she worked in the kitchen at Poland Central School. Joanne is a parishioner at St. Joseph-St. Patrick. Prior to joining the parish, she was a catechist with St. Leo's Church in Holland Patent. She grew up in East Utica and is a graduate of Proctor High School.

Rick and his wife, Rose, have two sons and a daughter. He is a special education math teacher at JFK Middle School in Utica. A graduate of SUNYIT, he went on to earn his master's in special education from SUNY New Paltz. He grew up in Utica and graduated from JFK when it was still a high school. In his spare time, Rick enjoys gardening and landscaping. An adult convert to Catholicism, he is a parishioner at St. Joseph-St. Patrick.

After their profession, Fraternity Minister Koscinski and Formation Director Stronach exhorted:

"By your lifelong profession to go from Gospel to life and life to Gospel, may you continually encounter the living and active person of Christ."

"May you conform your thoughts and deeds to those of Christ and build a more fraternal and evangelical world by fulfilling your vocation as a 'brother and sister of penance'."

Now Joanne and Rick can append the "SFO" designation after their names, signifying that they are professed members of the Secular Franciscan Order -- a canonically established order recognized by the Vatican as part of the Franciscan family.

SFO Profession: Joanne & Rick

He Had to Retire to Work at the Soup Kitchen

2009-05-20T22:03:00.001-04:00

Working 60 hours a week, including evenings and weekends, left little time to try things he wanted to do.

So Psychologist John McCabe retired a month ago -- after 32 years as a state employee.

And for the past three weeks, he has spent his Tuesdays and Wednesdays volunteering at the soup kitchen.

"I wanted to do more," he said Wednesday, before sinking his arms into a sink full of soapy pots and pans. He had heard about West Side Kitchen a year ago in church when Deacon Gil Nadeau made a pitch for volunteers.

John was laughing and chatting with other kitchen volunteers (Joanne Lockwood, Mary Schmitt, Pat Haguit and Connie Mulhill). The group took a break to pray together -- to prepare themselves to serve their hungry guests. Two other volunteers -- Mary Stronach and Bill McMyler -- arrived in time to join them. They read a poem, "Strange Prints in the Sand," where God tells of holding someone in his arms, only to drop him on his butt. For there comes a time,

"when one must rise and take a stand
Or leave their butt prints in the sand."

That prompted them to discuss how tough times often spur people to turn to God. After a few minutes, they ended the discussion and returned to their stations.

The doors were opened, and a line of people poured in. The first in line was a blind man with a white cane speedily making his way along the familiar corridor.

"Wayne!" the kitchen staff cheered in unison. He was the first of 74 guests Wednesday, which included three moms pushing infants and a toddler in strollers.

People Are Good to Us

2009-03-20T14:38:00.005-04:00

The Utica Common Council honored the volunteers of Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen this week with a proclamation and a good citizenship award.

Betty Frank, SFO, accepted on behalf of Father Richard Dellos, pastor of St. Joseph-St. Patrick parish; Deacon Gilbert Nadeau, soup kitchen director, and all the volunteers.

Council member James Zecca read the proclamation "praising Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen and volunteers on the occasion of their first anniversary," and then displayed the "West Utica Good Citizenship Award" presented to volunteers "in recognition of their community service to helping others in need."

The proclamation:

-- noted that the soup kitchen was named after Blessed Mother Marianne Cope, the parish daughter who went on to devote the last 30 years of her life as a Franciscan missionary to the lepers of Hawaii's Molokai.

-- cited the "150 kitchen volunteers" who "have served nearly 20,000 lunches and logged over 10,000 volunteer hours serving the poor and homeless in our community."

-- extended the Common Council's "gratitude, appreciation and sincere thanks for the outstanding work, dedication and positive service to our community."

-- honored "the unified efforts of all who have supported and contributed" to the soup kitchen's "success."

The presentation, originally scheduled two weeks earlier, was postponed when a resident attending the council meeting suffered a fatal heart attack and the meeting abruptly ended. In accepting the proclamation and award, Frank invited city officials to visit the soup kitchen any weekday between 11:30 and 12:30, and said the volunteers were grateful to the community for all the support the operation has received.

Frank, a professed Secular Franciscan who helped organize the Mother Marianne Prayer Group and Shrine at the parish, added:

"People are good to us."

You Can Show Up Tired, and in 5 Minutes, You're Not Tired Anymore

2009-03-10T23:34:00.005-04:00

It was time for soup kitchen volunteers to celebrate.

Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen reached its first anniversary March 10. Volunteers had cooked, prepared and served more than 20,000 noontime meals. And given up 10,000 hours.

But the talk at an anniversary Mass and reception was about the gift of serving.

"By the grace of God, after one year, we know it is a privilege to be able to serve people in our community...especially those who are hungry or in need," Fr. Richard Dellos, pastor, said in his homily.

While enjoying refreshments and cake, a number of the 35 volunteers who attended -- out of over 100 -- turned their thoughts to the people they serve, and to an unexpected joy of working together.

"One of the wonderful things is when the people come in, they thank us for the food, and when we smile, they thank us for smiling," said Ana Pereira.

Added Diane Hnat: "I can't tell you how nice the people are. If you say, 'God bless you,' they say 'God bless you' back."

Joanne Lockwood mentioned the camaraderie.

"We have a good time in the kitchen," she said.

"We do!" said Diane.

"If somebody's having a bad day, we help lift each other up," added Ana.

"Thank you for your efforts," Deacon Gil Nadeau, director, told the volunteers. "I say that on behalf of the people who sit in the dining room and eat with a smile on their faces."

Referring to the 10,000 volunteer hours, he said: "You can't put a price tag on that...Everything is totally volunteer. That's why it works, why we're self-sufficient."

Bob Oderkirk, who with wife Donna coordinates the Wednesday evening food production, mentioned how blessed they were with the 20-plus volunteers who turn out every time they get together.
Each of the past two production nights, the crews prepared over 1,000 sandwiches and over 20 gallons of soup.

"We're able to keep the freezers stocked...and it doesn't seem like work."

They start the evening with prayer, with helps set the tone, he said, and suddenly, the fun starts.

"You can show up tired, and in five minutes, you're not tired anymore."

A Christmas Blessing

2008-12-25T21:32:00.001-05:00

Some 185 people celebrated Christmas at the soup kitchen Thursday. The hungry. Those alone for the holiday. And volunteers full of Christmas cheer.

It was a record number, and a huge jump over the 100 people who enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner there.

Not only did they enjoy a Christmas menu of turkey, stuffing, yams, squash, salads, rolls, pies and candy cane, but they also were treated to gifts left by Santa's helpers. Personal gifts for the men and women, and toys for some 20 kids.

"Everything went very smoothly and we had just the right amount of food," notes Deacon Gil Nadeau, soup kitchen director. In fact, "the food was great, and nice and hot."

He offers a "special THANK YOU" to the "small army of volunteers" who "kept things rolling along smoothly," who "cleaned up," and who helped make the "Christmas Dinner a total success."

Bob Oderkirk (the evening volunteer food preparation supervisor), Donna Nelson and Jeannette Williams, SFO, "did a magnificent job setting up and directing the 'action'," Deacon Gil notes. "Liz Droz added some nice menu items and really chipped in." And Marilyn and Dave Schwalbach "handed out a goodly portion of the over 200 toys we had displayed in the chapel."

It was a Christmas blessing. For everyone.

You Won't Be Alone

2008-12-22T23:42:00.001-05:00

"People ask me how we got the idea to start a soup kitchen," Deacon Gil Nadeau told the congregation at the weekend Masses.

"It was through prayer."

In praying, in communicating with God, "we received a call to come down off the mountain" and take action. "You responded with your support. You responded with your donations..."

"A few days ago we surpassed 15,000 meals served, and that's just in the first nine months of operation. I thank you for that, for making it possible..."

"Jesus commanded, feed my people. We all responded."

Deacon Gil noted that the soup kitchen would be open on Christmas Day, serving a turkey dinner.

Everyone is invited, he said. Hungry neighbors. Senior citizens. Anyone who may be alone this Christmas.

You won't be alone at Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen.

Kids Put Faith into Action

2008-12-15T22:11:00.001-05:00

"I feel like I'm working at a restaurant," 6th grader Emma Short giggled as soup kitchen guests started arriving Monday at Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen.

"That's exactly right," beverage station volunteer Veronica Prezybyla shot back. "Only, you don't get any tips!"

Emma was one of ten 6th graders from St. Mary's School in Clinton who were excited about returning to the soup kitchen to volunteer.

They were a little nervous before they came the first time, back in November, teacher Bernadette Verna admitted. But they took to it right away, she said, and "they've asked to come back."

She added: "They feel as though they're doing something worthwhile, and they bring a joy with them. The guests seem to really appreciate it."

The adult volunteers were all smiles, too. "We love having the kids here," noted volunteer daytime supervisor Joanne Lockwood.

"They're so enthusiastic about helping out," added Pat Fletcher, a regular Monday volunteer who was there both times the 6th graders showed up. "They do everything: They wash the dishes, they go out and clean the tables, and they serve the food. They make it fun to be here."

Fun also was how 6th grader Anne Krysczuk described working there. "I feel like a waitress."

Sixth grader Jack Hughes said, "It makes you feel good when you help people," and classmate Daniel Hillman was convinced their presence "really helps the needy."

Sixth grader Madeline Krasniak spoke of a sense of community: "I like helping here because it's for the good of the community... We all should care about each other because we're all part of the same community. It doesn't matter who's richer or poorer."

The students arrived with some 20 bags of food and goodies to donate to the soup kitchen -- the spoils of a "dress down" day at the elementary parochial school, where kids got to leave their uniforms home for a donation of foodstuff.

In addition to Mrs. Verna, the contingent from St. Mary's included two parents, Kelly Liddell and Maureen Hughes, and the following students: Madeline Krasniak, Anne Krysczuk, Emma Short, Audrey Bartels, Collin Liddell, Troy Newman, Michael Howard, Daniel Hillman, Tyler Jury and Jack Hughes.

"We're always preaching to them" about loving their neighbors and helping people in need, as part of a Virtues Program, their teacher said. Here "they get a sense of people 10 miles away from them who need help; it's not some other country."

In other words, she said, "They're putting faith into action."

Laughter Filled the Air

2008-11-04T19:04:00.001-05:00

St. Mary's School in Clinton arranged for bus transportation, then 6th graders sponsored a "dress down" day last Friday, where students donating canned goods to the soup kitchen could dress down, and on Monday eleven 6th graders showed up at Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen with the cans of food, a teacher and two parents.

"They were wonderful and so happy to be there," reports volunteer daytime supervisor Joanne Lockwood. "Our regular Monday volunteers couldn't believe their eyes when they came in to see the kitchen overflowing with children."

By the time guests arrived, "the regulars and newcomers had teamed up...and their laughter filled the air. The guests joined in and everyone was enjoying being together."

The 6th graders, who arrived at 10 a.m. and left about 1 p.m. when clean-up was done, are already planning a bottle drive to help pay for bus transportation so they can come again next month, Joanne notes.

While the school children were filling the building with their joy and enthusiasm, soup kitchen director Deacon Gil Nadeau was compiling end-of-month statistics for October -- which showed that 2,358 meals were served (151 children, 107 elderly, and 2,100 other adults), bringing the grand total, since opening March 10, to 12,639 meals.

"There was almost a 30 percent increase from the previous month and a 60 percent increase from an average month to date," Deacon Gil notes. "These numbers are starting to reflect the need that is skyrocketing in our area."

He adds: "Thank you to all who volunteer their time and treasure. We could not do this without you."

Every day's a birthday party

2008-10-09T02:31:00.001-04:00

I got to act silly yesterday.

I made funny faces and uttered strange sounds. But the 4-month-old infant enjoyed it, breaking into big smiles and flailing his arms. His light grey eyes locked on mine, curious and completely open.

I was privileged to be reduced to a babbling fool so that his mom could go get a tray of food. She returned with soup, sandwich and cookies, and was joined by two other women who fussed over the child.

Other volunteers mingled with the guests, chatting, saying how good it was to see them, and laughing. Kitchen volunteers occasionally helped guests with their trays – a young mother with kids, a scruffy older gentleman with a cane.

They were among the 85 guests Wednesday.

Watching over the dining room were two Vietnam vets – former Marines – who liked to jovially kibitz with guests, especially some of the men.

A little earlier the former Marines were bowing their heads in prayer, joining the other volunteers for a few minutes of spiritual reflection before opening the doors of the soup kitchen.

Joanne Lockwood, the volunteer daytime supervisor, read a spiritual passage about being content with what one has. Coveting what others have is not being content.

That thought “is anti-cultural” is today’s society, she said. We want more, we want bigger, we want better.

There was discussion of woes and ills afflicting the world – from selfishness to genocide. There’s a need for sacrificial love, one said. This soup kitchen is an example of sacrificial love for hungry neighbors.

Several spoke of how well the volunteer staff treats the guests. Like family.

“They’ve come to trust us,” one said.

“Some say they’ve never been treated so well,” another offered.

“As Franciscans,” Joanne added, “we try to give birth to Christ in everything we do. West Side Kitchen is showing the fruits of that.”

There’s joy, she said; there’s confidence building; there’s the Spirit.

“It’s as though we’re having a birthday party every day.”

Anything But Typical

2008-09-17T00:02:00.002-04:00

Melissa McCann of Poland showed up to volunteer at the soup kitchen this past week, helping to prepare meals, greet guests and clean up tables.

It was her first day, but it was anything but typical. A WKTV News Channel 2 photojournalist and a WIBX radio reporter dropped by. So did Jan Squadrito from the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, Inc.

Jan was there to take part in a ribbon-cutting and blessing for a new walk-in freezer – purchased with a grant from the Community Foundation.The news media were there to cover the event and interview Deacon Gil Nadeau about the growing populace that the soup kitchen feeds.

“We started out feeding 20 to 40 people a day,” he said. “Now we’re feeding 100 to 125 people a day.”

In the first six months since opening March 10, “we served 8,933 meals.”

The unemployed and working poor primarily comprise the guests. A good percentage may be homeless at any given time. (Another agency that Deacon Gil invited interviewed 60 of the guests one day and discovered that 17, or 27 percent, were in need of shelter.)

With the soup kitchen staffed by volunteers, and operating on donations of food and money, the walk-in freezer came at a critical moment. It enabled West Side Kitchen to accept more donations, and not turn any away due to lack of storage space. It also replaced two failing smaller residential freezers.

Donations keep coming. As do volunteers, who may commit to a day a month or every other week. Like Melissa, who spent the summer working at Water Safari in Old Forge after graduating from Holy Cross Academy in Oneida. She decided to take a semester off to experience life before heading off to college. And what does she do? Volunteer at Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen.

The Adventure Continues

2008-08-21T00:45:00.001-04:00

The soup kitchen reached two milestones on Tuesday.

Volunteers served 117 lunches. A new record, according to Deacon Gil Nadeau.

And they pressed into service a new walk-in freezer, just as an upright unit and a chest freezer both failed. Talk about timing!

The walk-in unit was made possible by a $9,899 grant from The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, Inc., and its Richard W. Couper Memorial Fund and Leroy and Hazel Scheidelman Fund.

Regarding the record number of guests, Deacon Gil noted: “They’re coming (because) they like the food. It’s good food.”

“They like the soup,” said volunteer Jim Caldwell.

“Everyday we’re seeing new faces,” added volunteer-supervisor Joanne Lockwood.

On Wednesday they served 96 meals, and among the volunteers were three young girls, busily sweeping the carpet, prepping trays, or helping moms with infants and strollers.

MacKenzie DeRyder, already a veteran volunteer at the age of 9, is quick to help out everywhere, but especially likes “bringing trays into the kitchen.”

Samantha Mussatto, 10, and her sister, Amanda, 7, were back. The pair accompanied their grandmother, Diane Hnat, SFO, when their school was on spring break in April. They came all the way from New Hampshire. Now that they are visiting grandma during summer vacation, they are coming to the soup kitchen a couple of days a week. The sisters are avid readers, bringing their books everywhere, but Wednesday they were too busy to immerse themselves in an imaginary tale.

“It’s great!” Amanda said.

Better Than Day Care!

2008-07-29T12:47:00.007-04:00

With school in recess, summer has seen a jump in the number of children coming to Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen. Families sometimes take up half the dining area, and volunteers love to interact with smiling and giggling kids.

At the same time we are seeing more young folk wanting to volunteer at the soup kitchen.

Last Wednesday, for example, when we served 90 guests, three children were busily helping to serve drinks and preparing trays.

Alyssa Sharp, 12, who was all smiles at the beverage station, wouldn’t let a guest get by her without asking what he or she wanted to drink.

Her mom, Tammy Sharp, was in the kitchen helping to prep items for the trays. Tammy is on recess, too, since she is a second grade teacher in the Utica School District.

It was Karina Zabko’s third day volunteering. The 11-year-old, who was helping to set up trays, is the niece of kitchen volunteer-supervisor Joanne Lockwood.

“She wants to keep coming,” notes Joanne.

The youngest volunteer was MacKenzie DeRyder, 9, who had been there every day for two weeks.

The daughter of a friend of the family, MacKenzie accompanies Joanne to West Side Kitchen, where “she makes salads and helps with preparing trays,” and when she returns home, she “evangelizes” her mother and grandparents about volunteering.

“She prefers to come here instead of going to day care,” Joanne laughs.

***

P.S. Help!

Donna and Bob Oderkirk, the volunteer “chefs” who supervise the nighttime food preparation, are putting out a plea for more volunteers to help out on Wednesday evenings.

“Tonight in the kitchen we made 549 sandwiches and 19 gallons of soup,” Donna reports. “Bob sliced all the meat. We prepped the celery and carrots…We really need some new volunteers as the same 10 people show up every week. I am afraid we are going to get burned out.”

In addition to the Oderkirks, those evening volunteers are: Tom and Josie Abounader, Ann Longo, Gordon and Kathy Morrock, Ann Furner, Tony Weber, and Rosemary Tamer.

To volunteer, or for more information, email Donna, or call her at 315-725-0516. You can also volunteer online.

Numbers Tell a Shocking Tale

2008-06-26T14:53:00.000-04:00

Deacon Gil Nadeau has become an advocate for our soup kitchen guests. He met with staff at the Resource Center for Independent Living (RCIL), and this past Wednesday RCIL sent an outreach team to Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen to see the need first hand.

The team did a survey of 62 of the guests, and 10 actually filled out an RCIL questionnaire, with five of them accompanying staffers back to RCIL for follow-up assistance.

“This has been a very humbling experience for all of us,” one RCIL staffer told Deacon Gil.

She shared the results of the survey. Of the 62 guests interviewed:

-- 49 (or 70 %) needed employment.
-- 41 (66 %) needed help with food.
-- 40 (65 %) needed clothing.
-- 33 (53 %) needed assistance with transportation.
-- 21 (34 %) needed medical help.
-- 17 (27 %) needed shelter.
-- 14 (23 %) expressed the need for counseling.
-- 13 (21 %) needed help with the cost of utilities.

While the numbers confirm our belief that we are serving the homeless, the jobless, and the working poor, it’s still shocking. At least 17 of our guests are living on the streets. At least 49 do not have jobs. And 21 need medical care.

And those are just the ones who were interviewed. We’re now seeing 60 to 80 guests a day, and as many as 110 on some days.

###

Lunch Milestone

2008-06-25T14:42:00.000-04:00

“We reached a milestone at the soup kitchen,” Deacon Gil Nadeau told the congregation at the conclusion of 10:30 a.m. Mass a couple of weeks ago.

“We served 1,589 lunches last month.” The congregation erupted into applause.

“And just last week we served 400 lunches.”

He paised the volunteers and donors.

“It takes a lot of effort, thanks to our volunteers. And it takes your contributions.”

In an email to West Side Kitchen’s Coordinating Group, Deacon Gil announced another milestone, with volunteers serving lunch to 110 people on a recent day – a jump from the previous high of 85.

“The kitchen crews are doing a fantastic job taking care of our guests on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “The food is wholesome, balanced and always presented very well on the tray.”

Volunteers were chatting among themselves about how much the guests appear to appreciate the food, Quality Control Coordinator Joanne Lockwood noted. One guest was overhead saying, "My diet depends on the generosity of my neighbors."

Let the Little Children Come to Me

2008-06-15T15:21:00.002-04:00

By Mary and Robert Stronach, SFO

Wayne, our legally blind guest, was laughing and conversing with volunteer Jim Caldwell between sips of soup. He mentioned he had been on the phone with Protective Services that morning.

“They told me to get my butt right over there,” after learning he had been living on the street for 47 days.

“But I thought I would get something to eat first.”

Across the room, volunteer Katie Koscinski, SFO, was playing “high-fives” with a giggling 3-year-old. His 6-year-old sister came rushing over with a big smile to take a turn at slapping Katie’s hand. Their mom, a refugee who speaks very little English, smiled as she nibbled on a sandwich.

The poignant truth is that children come to the Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen. Some are infants and some, a little older. It’s not unusual to have as many as six or seven on any given day. Shortly, when school is out, we fully expect those numbers to go up. For the most part, our children are very well behaved. They sit close to Mommy or Daddy, quietly enjoying their soup and sandwich.

We are happy to see them…to know that they are having a nutritious lunch. And part of us wants to scream, “Why? Why should our little children have to know that hunger is real? Why should they even know what a soup kitchen is?”

Everything should be sunshine and daisies for them. They should feel safe and secure, knowing that Mommy and Daddy will always be there for them.

Life is not so easy for some families. Dad or mom may have lost a job. The spiraling price of oil and gas has affected the cost of transportation, utilities, food and just about every product we use. The dollar just doesn’t go as far. And our children are affected. They now come to the soup kitchen. It’s part of their daily routine, just like playing with toys or taking a nap.

When you come right down to it, West Side Kitchen came at just the right time. It is a blessing. And, we have our children close to us – safe and secure at the parish center.

When you come right down to it, it’s a miracle we have them with us, rather than in an empty apartment with an empty refrigerator.

When you come right down to it, they bring us joy. The volunteers play with them and laugh. And the other guests smile every time they see a child. Isn’t that the way it should be?

Christ said, “Let the little children come to me.”

They are here, Lord. Keep them safe.

An Open Letter to My Homeless Friend

2008-06-07T19:03:00.002-04:00

By Mary Stronach, SFO

We speak briefly at Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen. You smile and tell me how great the soup is. “It’s the best soup in town.”

Such small talk must hide many scars – of war, of a lost childhood, of lost love, lost companionship, lost work, lost home, drug use, alcohol, emotional setbacks. Whatever it was, something happened that put you into a tailspin. One morning you found yourself homeless and alone.

How was your childhood different from mine? How did you end up under the overpass and how did I end up living in the country? Why do you have to worry more about the cold and rain than I do? Why do I have the pleasure of a daily shower, clipped nails, clean clothes, hot meals, and a warm bed?

If we’re both children of God, why is our earthly inheritance so different? Homelessness was never your goal, hunger was never your intention.

Yet, here you are, walking through Christ’s passion.

Here you are. Hungry and homeless. Your “bed” is a bush or a patch of grass. The sum total of your belongings fits in your pockets or an old grocery cart.

Where do you go from here? Are you at the point that you don’t even see beyond your next meal at the soup kitchen? Do you ask yourself the same questions we all ask in life? “What is my purpose? How do I get there? Where is the meaning of my life?”

Trust in the Lord. He will care for you.

Many years ago I heard a man sing the following song. He was previously homeless and a recovering alcoholic.

“Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.”

If He loves and cares for the sparrow, how much more does He love you? Open yourself to His healing love.

Nourishment for the Homeless

2008-05-21T19:59:00.001-04:00

Fr. Richard Dellos put fingers to mouth and blew a loud, piercing whistle.

He did it again and again, each time to show his appreciation for the singers and dancers at the 40^th anniversary of his ordination Sunday.

It wasn’t a small party. He had invited the entire parish to a barbecue, and well over 400 people showed up, spilling over the campus, jamming the huge tent housing dining tables and performers, and filling the parish center, also decked out with tables for eating. Some brought gifts and momentoes, including State Sen. Joe Griffo, who presented a proclamation from the New York State Senate recognizing the priest’s service and ministry to the community. A big part of that ministry is serving the poor and those in need.

It started to rain, but the showers didn’t dampen the fest, as long lines of parishioners filled their plates with sausage, pork, beef, chicken and fixings.

A number of our regular soup kitchen guests were enjoying the festivities, too. Among them was Wayne, who had heaped several layers of meat and bread on his plate. He let out his easy, ebullient laugh, even though he would be bracing himself for another cold, damp night on the streets.

Wayne, who is legally blind and was burned out of his home weeks earlier, mentioned that his plans for a new apartment fell through, and that he was now spending his nights under a viaduct.

At the party he was nursing a sore thumb, and when he came into the soup kitchen Wednesday, it was sporting a splint. It had turned out to be broken, and had to be reset at St. Elizabeth Medical Center.

“I was sleeping in a tree, and I fell,” he explained.

“A tree is okay (for sleeping) if you don’t move,” he laughed. “Now I’m sticking to the viaduct.”

Spring Shines Through

2008-05-07T16:58:00.002-04:00

Our blind guest, Wayne, was sitting outside, basking in the spring sunshine a half-hour before the soup kitchen doors were to open Wednesday, while inside Deacon Gil Nadeau and daytime volunteer supervisor Joanne Lockwood led a group of eight volunteers in prayer.

Mother Teresa, Joanne told the group, “spent time in daily prayer and reflection before going out” to serve people in Calcutta. In the same way, she described their coming together in prayer and reflection as a “daily self-offering,” putting them in a frame of mind to better serve people coming to Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen.

“I believe the Holy Spirit is working in us, enabling us to do what we do. I also pray that the Holy Spirit inspire the hearts of many who cannot serve to donate money and food.”

Added Deacon Gil: “In addition to money and food,” people offering “prayer is important, too…We need people to pray for this ministry.”

The volunteers returned to their stations, and soon dining-room greeter Jim Caldwell was opening the doors to guests. Fifty men, women and children filed in for hot soup, sandwiches and dessert. Among the first in was Wayne. Behind Wayne was a guest sporting a small backpack, who quipped: “The soup is always good here.”

In an area adjacent to the dining tables, Deacon Gil had set up a distribution point for free personal care items – from soap, deodorant and toothpaste to toilet paper, band aids and hair spray. Marc, a new volunteer who has been a regular guest, was manning that station, allowing each guest to select two items.

Yesterday, Deacon Gil noted, Compassion Coalition sent over four truck loads of food and commodities – in exchange for volunteer Diane Hnat spending two hours working in the Coalition warehouse.

“Two loads were free, and we paid just for the shipping on the other two loads.”

In addition to personal care items, there were cases of orange juice and canned food for the soup kitchen, plus 20 cases of baby food and 40 boxes of cereal which “we gave to Thea Bowman House” (which is located on the parish campus and provides daycare and assistance to families in need). They also got a free supply of candy bars to place in Saturday’s lunch bags as well as on trays during the week as an extra treat.

But the soup kitchen couldn’t accept everything that Compassion Coalition was offering, as its freezers, coolers and storage bins were jammed full.

“That’s why we need a walk-in freezer and a walk-in cooler,” said Deacon Gil, noting that he and his coordinating group are applying for a grant and trying to raise money to obtain and install large walk-in units. “We need the capacity to accept donations as they’re made available.”

Meanwhile, as Marc was distributing personal care items, Jim was kibitzing with hungry diners as they laughed and chatted among themselves. Suddenly his voice boomed across the room:

“Hey, we’re all family here!”