Community meals nourish bodies, souls
By 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday tables and chairs await lunch guests at the Salvation Army, 313 W. Cunningham St.
Even when the air conditioning isn't working and the kitchen is hot, a free lunch is still on the table for people in need.
“We feed the man and feed the soul. We do it all for God and Jesus Christ,” said Capt. Henry Thibault, pastor and commanding officer.
At the beginning of the month, the Salvation Army may feed 40 to 55 people each weekday. By month's end, when people have the most trouble making ends meet, the kitchen may serve 90 to 150. Most participants live close enough to walk to the program.
“Our meals help to subsidize what they need,” Thibault said.
Meeting those needs is getting harder, he said, because the program no longer receives federal funds, in part because Butler County is no longer counted as one of the poorest counties in the state.
The Salvation Army does receive some United Way funds.
Nonperishable food received from the United States Department of Agriculture is designated for the once-a-month food bank at the Salvation Army, not the meal program.
“I do think it's an expensive program to run,” said Capt. Irene Thibault, also pastor and commanding officer, referring to the lunch program. “It takes a toll on our operating budget.”“We are having a hard time getting food,” Henry Thibault said.“We have been considering having a pantry or soup kitchen, not both. Donations are not coming in like they used to.”Other sources of food for the meals include caterers and restaurants, Hunters Sharing the Harvest (venison), food gleaned from local farms and a local school garden. The Salvation Army sometimes also accepts donations of leftovers after big events as long as there is no question about the safety of the food.Thibault said, “Finding meat is the hardest. That takes a lot out of our budget.”Full-time cook Lisa Dennis uses her creativity to make the best of what she has available.One meal last week included meatloaf baked inside winter squash, green beans and mashed potatoes with an alternative of a hot turkey sandwich.“It could be anything from soup and a sandwich up to Thanksgiving dinner,” said Thibault. “It matters what we have. They'll always get fed. If we see the line is really long, we'll cook more.”
People of all ages use the program. Christina Pinnell of Butler has been bringing her four children to the meal off and on for two years.Even though children are often the hardest to please at any meal anywhere, Cali Pinnell, 7, said the food is good.“People who come to the soup kitchen are always willing to help,” Thibault said.Their contributions to the Salvation Army include washing floors, tables and rugs; peeling vegetables; painting rooms; and repairing the building. One volunteer, Donald Kuron, has rarely missed a day of washing all the lunch dishes in the past 12 years.“It's just to pay back,” said administrative assistant Amy Tebay.Salvation Army Senior Soldier Millie Redick said, “I'm here every day and help wherever I'm needed.”(A senior soldier is a member of the church that wears a uniform and can be a representative of the Salvation Army.)“She's a jack-of-all-trades,” said Thibault.Nancy Sabadish, president of In Home Family Focus Treatment, has served on the Salvation Army advisory board for 17 years.“I think it's wonderful that the whole community comes together,” said Sabadish. “There's a big need. These are volunteers and they are so faithful.”
She sometimes brings young people to Salvation Army to perform community service.“I want them to be part of something and to work in their community,” Sabadish said. “They really enjoy it. So much of that is the staff down there.”According to Tebay, 25 to 30 new people come to lunch each month, and there are more younger adults and mothers with children now.Everyone arriving for a meal signs in and indicates their age group.“We don't ask them for any other information,” Tebay said.“Anybody can come,” said Irene Thibault.The social aspect of the program is important, too. It is not just the food. Irene Thibault said the Salvation Army sees each participant as a person, not as a client.“They're part of our ministry,” she said. “I put myself in their place. I stress a lot if we're going to get funding.”“For us, the hardest thing is to keep a good meal going every day with the budget that we have. We do our very best,” said Henry Thibault.
“No one is going to run to a soup kitchen if they don't need it,” he said.“This program is a godsend for people in Butler,” said volunteer Rick Dermond. “If this program didn't exist, lots of people wouldn't eat.”<B>WHAT ELSE DOES THE SALVATION ARMY DO IN BUTLER COUNTY?</B>The Salvation Army performs more services than just lunch. It also helps the community through an after-school program, a once-a-month food bank, women's and men's ministries, Bible study and an emergency disaster team.People who need drug or alcohol treatment can be referred to the six -to nine-month residential programs in Pittsburgh, Erie, Altoona and other cities. The participants work while there, for example, sorting clothes and picking up furniture donations.“It's definitely a confidence builder,” said Amy Tebay, administrative assistant for the Salvation Army.“They can get a work ethic,” said Capt. Henry Thibault, pastor and commanding officer of the Butler Salvation Army. “God is involved, and it turns people around.”
