Fall 2009

CI Special Program Focus: Community Lunch

For years, soup kitchens have been synonymous with long lines of the unemployed or the working poor, all struggling for their next warm meal. At Community Impact (CI),  however, we hold a unique vision for our soup kitchen at the Broadway Presbyterian Church, right across from the Columbia campus.

At CI’s Community Lunch, we employ a restaurant-style soup kitchen. Inside the church, the atmosphere is warm and communal, and guests are seated at tables conducive to conversation, while served by CI volunteers. Tara Menon (CC ‘11), a Community Lunch Program Coordinator, knows from experience that the program has power beyond just feeding the hungry. “Some people see it as a band-aid solution to homelessness and hunger,” she says, “but we’ve touched the lives of our community participants in
much deeper ways.”

For example, Tara recalls the story of the security guard at Broadway Presbyterian. Several years ago, he had been an addict, struggling to keep his life together, living on the streets, and coming to Community Lunch to survive. He began to receive welfare and was told to find volunteer work as compensation, which drew him back to CI – his impression of and experience at Community Lunch had made it his first choice. Through CI, he made the connections and learned the skills to secure his job at the church. Community Lunch was his stepping stone to becoming in control of his life, employed, and self-sufficient.

“What we do here does have a long-term impact on people’s lives,” attests Tara. Community Lunch offers a space for people to come together to share a meal. And through our various Adult and Emergency Services programs, Community Impact offers a place for people to improve their lives.

- Nikolaia Patterson CC ‘12