2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the research and planning of the Sunday Meals Program. The program was implemented January 3, 2015. We started with UPC, plus six area churches of various faiths and two community groups. We served a dine-in hearty meal, every Sunday, free of charge to anyone who was hungry or lonely. Guests and staff could socialize before and during meals. God’s love was shared as we worked and visited together. Friendships were formed during this time. We became a family, diverse in nature.
In March 2020, Sunday meals had to pause due to covid. It reopened as a take-out program, in June, 2021. We had three churches and two community groups preparing meals and a fourth church doing deliveries and participating on the board and with our Christmas gift bag project for guests.
In 2022 one of our former churches returned to the program. A new church joined us in 2023; and another is strongly considering joining us this year. In 2022, we added elderly folks with health issues that make cooking and getting out difficult, to our guest list. The program has continued to grow. 120 meals are currently served twice each month. Teams take turns being responsible for planning a hearty meal, shopping, preparing the meal and cleaning up. All meals are prepared in the kitchen of Hornell UPC the day of the meal. Distribution takes place in the upstairs foyer of UPC. Some of our guests help with reservations, cooking, packing meals, distribution, and deliveries. Staff and guests work together and are a diverse group in terms of race, faith, and age. Helping at the program helps young people begin to know the importance of helping those in need. It also gives our retired volunteers a sense of purpose. It takes many volunteers to implement the Sunday meals program. Many people in our community are involved. The UPC congregation is very supportive of this mission. They are very generous financially. They also help consistently with cooking, packing, distribution, and deliveries.
Prior to covid, guests appreciated having a time and place to visit with friends and to form new friendships. Since reopening Sunday Meals in 2021, it has been a goal of the program to add dining in as an option. The distribution process has been fine tuned during the past three years. The system is now easy to learn and to implement. Volunteers are willing to continue this process upstairs in the foyer, while some of the leadership and other volunteers, including some of our guests, will work downstairs in the dining room to accommodate those requesting dining- in. This will take place at the same time packing and distribution is taking place upstairs. Much thought has gone into this concept. We would like to start with the option of dining-in once a month. Fine tuning will be implemented as needed. We are hoping to relaunch the dine-in portion of the program in June 2024. Final approval by UPC leadership will be needed before we resume this aspect of the program. Dining-in will be an additional option for the program. It will not replace anything that we are currently doing.
Guests are called to confirm the number of meals needed for their family for each meal. This is also an opportunity to chat with our guests and to find out about needs they may have. It also lets guests know that we care about them and gives them the opportunity to refer new guests to the program and to provide feedback. Guests look forward to the meals and tell us that the meals are helpful.
There are several ways in which we evaluate the success of our program in relation to Matthew 25: Our guest list, phone calls for reservations, hearty meals, Christmas gift bags that include warm , hand knit hats, and a pair of gloves, and hopefully an opportunity for more socialization in the near future all show an effort to reflect God’s call to care for those in need. Feedback from guests and volunteers, willingness of churches, community groups and volunteers, including guests, to participate in the program; and continued financial support and food donations from a variety of sources also reflect the success of the program.
