Justice and Witness – Cooking Meals for People living on the Streets
If it is a Tuesday, a couple of members and friends of Bridgeport are draining pasta, layering a casserole, or keeping a big pot of chili stirred so it doesn’t burn the bottom of the pot!
Every week, members and friends of Bridgeport UCC cook a hot meal for 50-60 people who receive a meal every day organized by our partner organization, Beacon PDX. For decades, under the leadership of Pat Schweibert, this group has been building relationships with and providing meals for people who are living on the streets in southeast Portland.
Hot meals and sack lunches to go are currently served in front of the Friends Meetinghouse on SE Stark St. or on the sidewalk by Laurelhurst Park. Many of the people who come stay to eat and visit, and often they will take a few meals to go for friends. We know that many of those who are served have been part of this community for a long time. Before Covid restrictions, an evening community meal was served in the Sunnyside neighborhood and Bridgeport members helped cook, serve food, and wash dishes. Now, meals are served in individual containers, but the focus on building community is still a priority.
When we Bridgeport volunteers drive up to deliver the meals, we are greeted at our cars with people offering to carry our boxes or bags. While food and homemade cookies are being unloaded, others are helping set up the folding tables and unloading Beacon PDX’s van filled with snacks, first aid, and toiletries, along with coats and backpacks or other donations. People call each other by name and volunteers and staff check-in with folks.
As we know, gathering to share a meal extends beyond physical nourishment; stories are told, hardships are shared, and there is laughter. Bridgeport volunteers pop in and out of their lives as we deliver our meals, but it takes only a few minutes standing on the sidewalk visiting and listening to show us that there is a lot more than food being shared. Community is a powerful thing.
Currently, we have 5 of us cooking and delivering meals. We have church members who donate to a fund to contribute toward the groceries. We each have a very large nonstick casserole pan that makes enough to divide into 25 individual containers that keep the food hot for delivery. Our current favorite easy recipes are tuna casserole, chicken enchilada casserole, chili, and mac and cheese with ham. With experience, we have found ways to simplify the cooking and it is easy to get it into the oven by about 11:30, and then an hour later, it is ready to dish into the containers and deliver it. Food is served at 1:00 and sometimes we just drive up and drop it off and barely get out of the car. Other times, we may stay and visit a bit.
Would you like to know more? Would you want to cook once in awhile or be on the regular schedule? Do you want to come to one of our houses and help us put the casserole together or show up when it comes out of the oven and help us scoop it into the containers? Do you want one of us to pick you up on the way so you can join us to deliver? We invite you to “shadow” one of us and we promise we will not commit you to anything beyond experiencing the joy we receive when we get to share food with our neighbors.