Grace Church Community Center Soup Kitchen

For 30 years, the hungry of Westchester- - an ironic image in this prosperous county- - have been coming to the Grace Church Community Center Soup Kitchen for a hot, nutritious mid-day meal.

Between 50 and 100 men and women come to be fed each day; fewer in the summer when jobs on construction sites and at local golf courses are plentiful, and more in the cold of winter when casual jobs are few and far between. Lines are shorter during the first five days of every month when the regulars receive checks and food stamps from the Department of Social Services and can be self sufficient, at least for a few days.

No one is ever turned away.

The Soup Kitchen is open year round from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., five days a week as well as on holidays.

Every day, men and women start to gather outside Grace Church, at 33 Church Street, in the heart of White Plains around 10:15 a.m. to wait for a meal. On days that are cold or wet, they are usually let in a little early so that they can wait in the warmth of the parish hall. Sometimes there are take-home food bags, clothing or toiletries set out on tables so the neediest can help themselves. All items are donated by community groups and individuals.

On a recent November morning when the temperature had prematurely fallen to a chilly 36 degrees, the menu was chili and rice- - spicy enough to warm even the coldest of souls- - accompanied by soup, rolls and cookies.

The meal had been prepared by Maggie Serrano, Soup Kitchen Coordinator and Anna Ayala, Assistant Coordinator who had been hard at work since 7:00 a.m. preparing enough food to feed the 50 men and women who showed up that morning.

Ayala and Serrano have been a team for over three years. They know each and every individual who comes to the soup kitchen on a regular basis by name; and they have listened to each of their stories. When they can, they offer referrals to other social services, or advice about finding employment.

At 9:00 a.m. three volunteers from an extensive community and corporate network join the pair to assist in set up, food service and clean up. Some, like Ian Gelfand, who has been coming in every day for five weeks, and Jonathan Wong who has been helping out three days a week for the past six months, are regulars. Gelfand, who is currently on disability explains that during his unemployment GCCC has been subsidizing his rent in a neighborhood apartment. To show his appreciation he has decided to help others in need.

Demand for meals has been growing steadily- - 20% in the past two years- - mainly as a result of continuing high unemployment and the high cost of living in Westchester County. Food-P.A.T.C.H., Westchester’s primary food bank, has determined that one-quarter of all Westchester residents currently need some form of food assistance.

This year, 30,000 meals will be served up in the Soup Kitchen-- 4,000 will be holiday meals served at Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, Memorial Day and Presidents’ Day- - and hundreds more will be delivered to shut-ins. For those who need them, sandwiches or canned goods are available for take-home each day, and on Fridays they are welcome to take enough food to last for the weekend.

There is a misconception that the only people who come to soup kitchens are the homeless and the mentally ill. While that may have been true a few years ago, those lining up these days are just as likely to be unemployed day laborers, retired persons, young men and women unable to find jobs, or recent immigrants who have jobs but who still can’t make ends meet.

And sadly, in the summer months, when school is out, sometimes there are children at the tables; last summer, a mother brought her six children with her on a number of occasions. The Soup Kitchen provided her with a sympathetic ear plus used clothing and toys for the children in addition to nourishing meals.

September 11^th was a real catalyst for change in the Soup Kitchen says Anna Ayala, Soup Kitchen Coordinator. "More people started coming, and the kinds of people were different." Many of the newcomers were former employees of the Trade Center. Others like one man who came for almost a year to sit and cry over the death of his sister, had lost family or friends, and simply needed a safe, comforting place to heal their wounds. Happily during the past year there have been fewer and fewer victims of 9/11 around these soup kitchen tables.

The food served at the Soup Kitchen is donated by Food-P.A.T.C.H. in Millwood and by local community centers, synagogues and churches like Hitchcock Presbyterian Church in Scarsdale, which cooks and delivers Tex-Mex casseroles, salad and fresh fruit once a month.

No government support is received for the Soup Kitchen. Funding is raised by mail solicitation throughout the year and through general fundraising events that also benefit the other seven programs operated by GCCC.

Other GCCC programs include shelters for men and women, a daycare for low-income families, a summer day camp for homeless children, a drop-in center for the mentally handicapped, nursing home care for the elderly and housing assistance to prevent homelessness.

GCCC is the largest social services agency in Westchester County, and is the only agency that offers free mid-day meals in White Plains. It is a non-profit, non-sectarian agency that was incorporated as an independent 501 (c) (3) organization in 1979. Its mission is to serve the neediest individuals in the community, primarily those who have nowhere else to turn.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to the Soup Kitchen can contact Christine Meyer, Director of Development, at (914) 949-3098 ext. 130 or at christinemeyer@gracecommunitycenter.org. Monetary donations of any amount are gladly accepted and may be sent to GCCC Development Office, 52N.Broadway, White Plains, NY 10603. There is also a great need for donations of paper goods such as plates, cups, bowls, plastic ware and napkins.

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