Feeding the Homeless

On Sunday, August 19, 2018, I took the opportunity to go the homeless feeding program at First Congregational Church in downtown Phoenix. 

I had heard about this program from Associate Pastor Susan Valiquette a few weeks earlier. 

I had no idea as what to expect.

When I arrived, the room was filled with over 140 hungry homeless folks. They were all ages, races, colors, ethnicities. They had one goal: to partake in the feast of food prepared for them.

About 5-six-foot tables were at the front with 2-six foot tables on the one end creating a L-shaped serving area.

Promptly at 4 PM, without any announcement, people formed a line and came forward to receive a paper plate. As they walked along, they were offered green leaf salad, cooked mixed vegetables, a variety of hot dish items, pasta salad, fresh fruit, sandwiches and desserts.

One of the creative parts of the serving line was the offering of jelly and peanut butter sandwiches. These sandwiches came in two forms. Some were simply on trays and not wrapped. These were offered for consumption on the time of the service. Some were wrapped in plastic bags for eating later. The wrapped ones came in white bread and whole wheat bread. I think this a thoughtful way to serve sandwiches. Not everyone likes white bread! And not everyone likes whole wheat bread!  

I volunteered to help serve the desserts: cookies, a variety of cakes, cream cheese filed bagels and power bars. 

There is a a clothes “closet” on the stage of the room where people can come and look for some clothes. I believe they are restricted to one or two items.

A volunteer medical agency was on site and offered blood pressure testing. The volunteers are all nursing students from a local university. 

I talked to some of the volunteers and found out that they had been doing this for at least a dozen years. The program is led by a quiet lady named Diane. Volunteers come from all over the Valley and range in age from High School students to seniors. 

I took the time to visit with a few of those who came to eat. I met a man and his sister. They told me they have been homeless since March when they lost their housing due to medical expenses. They are now living in Sunnyslope area. They said they had come downtown to use the large city library when they heard about the meal being served. They are in their late 60s. I referred them to a local shelter geared to people their age. They were grateful for the referral.

I understand that feeding homeless people is a controversial issue. I also believe that food does bring people together. I believe that programs such as this can be used to bring resources together to actually address homelessness. Just as I was able to make a referral to the homeless siblings; I am sure that bringing more resources to this meal time could actually help reduce homelessness. I will be meeting with the committee at the church in the near future to explore such a possibility.

Hats off First Congregational Church!

Ronald Friesen © 2018