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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.
