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| Local leaders, including Lincoln Park UMC pastor Maurice Horne (far right) and Calvary UMC pastor Ray McGee (third from right) celebrated the soup kitchen's grand opening on Jan. 12. |
References to the Great Depression aren’t usually the best way to lift American’s spirits with the economic uncertainty and unrest of 2011 — but a place like Lincoln Park UMC is challenging that assumption.
More than 70 years ago the Flint church served meals out of its basement during one of the worst recessions in the country’s history and beginning Jan. 3 Lincoln Park was back serving the needs of the city’s south side with “daily bread”, clothing and an abundance of free smiles.
The South Flint Soup Kitchen is a collaboration of Lincoln Park UMC and Catholic Charities of Genesee and Shiawassee Counties. Lincoln Park UMC Rev. Maurice Horne calls it “a marriage set forth in heaven” that has invigorated his congregation to serve and shown that collaboration is a great option for serving a larger audience.
The soup kitchen served 11 people on its first day, but by the grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 12 — which garnered the presence of several local media outlets — 30-35 people were stopping by the church basement from 11 a.m. to noon each day.
“There’s no other soup kitchen around except on the north end of Flint, about eight to 10 miles away…and so many people are hungry,” he said.
Horne said a lot of people mistake “hungry people” as always being “homeless” but he said a lot of families just have no income coming in and are trying to save money any way possible.
“We have people who bring their children and grandchildren here every day and have a meal, fellowship and feel like part of the family here regardless of whether they come to church here or whether they go to church somewhere else,” he said.
Horne has high hopes that as more people learn about the soup kitchen its audience will grow exponentially, but the ministry’s rise just since November is proof of its demand.
The congregation started a “TV dinner ministry” where they simply served microwaveable dinners to 15-25 people four nights a week.
Horne said he put out a sign that read, ‘Free Food,’ each day — which eventually caught the attention of Catholic Charities, who was actively searching for a partner to help them open up a soup kitchen on the south side.
Jon Manse, director of community service for the charity, said he scheduled an appointment with Horne and there was instant chemistry.
“I’m not sure who was more excited that first time we met, me or him,” Manse said. “(Lincoln Park UMC) has the building and we are going to bring the staff and the volunteers and the food and of course their costs will be the electricity and what it takes to run the building.”
Manse also credited the church for the exuberance its members have displayed in volunteering. The kitchen takes 6-10 volunteers to operate each day, and they are always looking for people to help bring in donations of coats, scarves, gloves, hats and other clothing to give away.
Horne said there is a major need for “heavy jackets and sleeping bags” right now, but help is coming from all directions.
The pastor said the soup kitchen has really brought the Gospel to life for many members of his church.
“It allows for teaching the word of God to people when they’re hurting, they’re hungry, when they have so many other needs. With the soup kitchen here not only are we feeding them, meeting some of their physical needs, but we’re also acting as a resource center and for the things we don’t have we have other agencies that we can reach out to,” he said. “When a person is hurting, hungry, homeless or freezing it’s hard for them to listen.”
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