Newspaper Articles

Neighborhood Table starts program; others offer help to fight hunger  

By Karen Madden

January 5, 2004

Daily Tribune Staff  

About an hour before the scheduled serving time of Wisconsin Rapids first Neighborhood Table meal Wednesday, director Ginny Steen was handed a bumper sticker: "Peace Begins When the Hungry are Fed."

The message was sent to Steen from the Rev. Marty Carr, who operates a soup kitchen in Oshkosh. Carr also said he would supply the food for two Thursdays a month from his St. Joseph's dining hall if The Neighborhood Table would be open every Thursday. "Oh, my goodness, can you believe this?" Steen asked when the message was delivered verbally by Todd Peterson, a volunteer from St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Wisconsin Rapids.

For now, The Neighborhood Table is providing free meals to Wisconsin Rapids-area residents on the last two Thursdays of the month. The spaghetti dinner served New Year's Eve was the group's way of introducing the new pro­gram to the community. The serving of the first dinner just before 5 p.m. marked the realization of a three-year dream for Steen. "It feels very good," she said. "I'm just hoping that people come."

The free dinners were organized to feed the economically disadvantaged. However, there is no proof of need required, and volunteers hope anyone in the community who finds it difficult to cook or who is looking for a place to socialize will join them for a meal.

On Wednesday, the volunteers were filled with "opening night" jitters and excitement. The work was scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m., but by 3 p.m. Monica Hass was already preparing.

"I had nightmares about being the only person to show up," Hass said. "So when I got here I started browning pots of meat and got going." But Hass didn't have long to wait before she was joined by more volunteers. By 3:30 p.m., 10 people were working to make the first dinner a success and, as it got closer to serving time, more volunteers kept arriving at St. John's Episcopal Church, where the dinners are being held. "I'm here to help in any way," Peterson said when he arrived. Peterson also dreamed of providing meals to people in need in the community. "I had this idea of providing meals for a couple years," he said. "When I saw someone was doing it, I got very excited."

In the kitchen, volunteers cut onions, buttered garlic bread, stirred spaghetti sauce, boiled water and made a pan of fresh brownies to serve with the dinner. Plates of Christmas cookies made by Steen were placed on the tables along with condiments. Everything was in place and ready for the first guests by 4:30 p.m., a half hour before the scheduled serving time. "I knew we'd be ready early" Steen said. "Everyone is so excited." The first guests arrived at the church at 4:35 p.m. By 5 p.m., five people were eating spaghetti in the dining room and another two people had picked up the first carry outs.

Cindy Tripp was delivering beverages to the diners. Tripp is a member of the Heart of Wisconsin Leadership Program. The Leadership Program is helping The Neighborhood Table get the meals off the ground, Tripp said. The next meal will take place from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 22. No reservations are needed, although large groups and people requesting carry outs are asked to call ahead. For information, contact Ginny Steen.

You can reach reporter Karen Madden at 422-6729 or kmadden@wisconsinrapidstribune.com

The Neighborhood Table services the communities of Wisconsin Rapids, Nekoosa, Port Edwards, Wisconsin and surrounding areas