While students head home to their families and dig in for a hearty Thanksgiving spread, many in Athens County might not have the same assurance of a full plate.
Local churches, though, are looking to fill hungry stomachs — and not just through the holiday season.
In Athens County, 13,888 residents are recipients of food assistance programs, commonly known as the food stamp program, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Through a combination of donations, fundraising and out-of-pocket expenses, on any given day, an area church offers a free meal to anyone in search of one — the trick is knowing when and where to go.
United Campus Ministry, 18 N. College St., offers a supper every Thursday from 5:30–6:30 p.m. and Saturday lunches from 1–2 p.m.
The Thursday supper usually features seasonal fare, and this week, it will offer an expanded spread to accommodate the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Last year, we got somewhere between 60 and 80 people (at our Thanksgiving meal), so we’re expecting about the same this year,” said Alice Ragland, an intern for UCM who oversees the meals. “Usually a lot of people go home on Thanksgiving, so though we usually have a fair amount of volunteers, on Thanksgiving, you have no idea.”
Despite the potential lack of volunteers for the holiday meal, many OU students or Athens residents donate dishes to UCM, which is extremely helpful, Ragland said.
One of UCM’s biggest challenges, Ragland added, is the same as that faced by many families that host a big Thanksgiving — not having enough oven space.
Last year, UCM received four donated turkeys, along with various side dishes, and coordinating cook times proved to be quite the balancing act.
UCM is not the only place to find a hot meal. First United Methodist Church, 2 S. College St., serves Monday lunch from noon to 12:45 p.m., typically for crowds upwards of 150.
“There are often people who come in and are very appreciative of it because they didn’t have any food,” said Kim Mather, a four-year volunteer for the luncheon. “Sometimes people say, ‘This is all I got to eat.’ ”
The church also packs up leftovers for those looking to bring home a meal.
Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 64 University Terrace, works with a local farmer, who is a member of the church, and receives vegetable donations for its Wednesday lunches.
“They have a huge garden and are building a chapel on the farm,” said Sally Spero, who volunteers for the church luncheons. “The produce goes to the poor … and it has been marvelous.”
While no one can recall the various meals having been coordinated in the past, none are offered on the same day, making a free, heaping plate available every day. Yet regardless of how it started, locals are enthusiastic about providing these services to an area that has traditionally struggled with food security.
“There is some serious need in Athens County,” said Philip Foster, pastor at New Life Assembly of God, 10 S. Green Dr. “The thing about Athens is you can’t judge what’s going on behind doors. When any church does something here, it’s needed.”
Sundays at 6:30 p.m., New Life Assembly of God hosts Meal and a Message, a potluck-style dinner meant more as a social gathering than simply a free meal.
The church prefers to distribute food when it receives the funds and donations necessary to make food baskets. A few years ago, it put on one such distribution event and had hundreds of people lined up outside its doors at 8 a.m.
“In the summer, we take some Wednesday nights and go out into the community, to some of the more needy places, and give food away,” Foster said. “We’ve had some challenging stories where people said they didn’t have anything to eat except what we gave them.”
wh092010@ohiou.edu
