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Neighborhood Table: 2 years old, growing Free meal program looks to expand further in 2006 By Deb Cleworth The Neighborhood
Table has had a full plate the last two years. Since its inception
on Dec. 31, 2003, the Wisconsin Rapids program has served about 20,000
free meals, expanded to three community dinners a month and was named
Adult Volunteer Organization of the Year in 2004 and 2005 by the
Volunteer Center of South Wood County. What's on the menu
for 2006? For starters, The
Neighborhood Table will begin to buy more of its supplies from Second
Harvest, a nonprofit food bank, which will reduce the cost of meals for
sponsors, said Ginny Steen, president of the board. "We did go
there and buy sliced ham, frozen soup and frozen meatballs to use at
meals," Steen said. Neighborhood Table
educational programs will continue, she said. The programs started in
September, and future topics will include tips on buying a first home
and how to be a better renter. "The ones on
budgeting and health care have been really well attended," Steen
said. Organizers will
continue to seek steady volunteers, who provide consistency for guests
and workers. Todd Peterson would
like The Neighborhood Table to serve meals every Thursday. Peterson, a
teacher at Grove Elementary School in Wisconsin Rapids, has missed
working at only one meal in the last two years. He is on the move
constantly, lending a listening year to guests. "It's such a
connection between people who are in need and people who want to
help," Peterson said. Angie Hill is
another regular volunteer, staffing the "to-go" meal table.
When she started almost two years ago, she saw about 40 meals go out the
door at each meal. "Now we're
serving anywhere between 150 and 200 to-go's a week," she said
Thursday. Hill, a bartender at
V-Ski's in Kellner, often talks about The Neighborhood Table to
customers. "I know there's
still a lot of people that don't know what we do," she said.
"We're still not reaching everyone." Shirley Winegarden
of Wisconsin Rapids and three of her fellow senior citizen friends do
know about the meals and attend on a regular basis. "I said years
ago they should have a soup kitchen in this town, and all of a sudden,
they had it," Winegarden said. "I thought that it was
wonderful. It isn't just for the needy and the poor; it's for
socialization." Tim Botcher of
Wisconsin Rapids agreed. A retired construction worker, he drives a
truck on a seasonal basis for Del Monte. He started coming to the meals
before he went back to work. Botcher has come to
know many of the other guests. On Thursday, he nodded to a man across
the room, Gilbert Getlinger of the town of Rudolph. Getlinger is
relatively new to the meal site. He read about the meals in the
newspaper and thought he would try it. Not only does he like the social
aspect, but he said there is a nice variety of food. Winegarden agreed,
adding the desserts always are good; at least that's what her friends
tell her. "I don't eat
the desserts," she confided. "But everybody else likes
them." In the end, it's the
combination of good food and company that provide a balanced meal for
everyone. "I really like
the welcoming spirit here," Peterson said. "I know there's a
higher power helping us out, and he helps us to be successful." Winegarden agreed. "It doesn't matter what area of life you come from," she said. "You still fit in."
The Neighborhood Table services the communities of Wisconsin Rapids, Nekoosa, Port Edwards, Wisconsin and surrounding areas
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