The community center at Our Lady of Kibeho Catholic Parish bustled last Wednesday with volunteers preparing dinners to be given away to those struggling to put food on the table.
J.C. Jefferson of Calumet City, Julia Ward of Lynwood, and Felicia Roberts, who lives near the church in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood, kept busy in the industrial-style kitchen, opening countless cans of spinach and preparing fish for baking and frying.
Roberts, who works in food preparation and maintains valid food preparation certifications, became involved in the volunteer effort thanks to her late mother, who used to bake cakes and cookies for the soup kitchen.
In a larger common area, Laurann Bibbs, of Beverly, counted food cartons to match orders that had been called in. “Today we’re serving fish. That always draws people,” she said.
Other volunteers packed cookies and fruit cups in bags to accompany each meal.
Started by the Oblate Sisters of Providence in 2005, the OSP Diner served just one dinner its first Thanksgiving, but due to word-of-mouth and increasing demand, the soup kitchen’s following has grown dramatically.
After this year’s March 1 rollback of pandemic-related SNAP benefits, the OSP Diner noted a significant spike in the number of meals needed, according to Catherine Hart, a church member who has coordinated the community ministry since 2014.
After supplying about 150 meals per week through February, the OSP Diner gave out 179 the first week of March.
More Top Picks Griddles Camps
“We’ve seen a lot more people taking advantage of the free meals,” Hart said. “When I first came at this, we served 40 to 50 sit-down meals per week. Volunteers would serve the food, beverages and salads, but with the pandemic, it turned into carryout meals only.”
In 2020, the soup kitchen went from serving 75 meals per week to more than 100. “I think that was because with carryout, people were able to pick up meals for family members too,” Hart said.
Beverly McCleary, 84, a retired nurse and longtime parishioner, misses visiting with meal recipients, sometimes even giving educational presentations about health matters.
That’s no longer possible in the current setup, but she still appreciates being able to reach more people. “I got in the habit of coming here, and I don’t make any other appointments on Wednesdays because I like helping people,” she said.
Other volunteers make this ministry a priority as well.
Hart’s godson, Jaylen Pate, is pursuing a master’s degree in public policy at Northwestern University and is a defensive linemen for the school’s football team. Though he’s much younger than the other volunteers who are mostly retired and in their 70s and 80s, he makes time when his schedule allows, mostly during school breaks.
“I like to volunteer for lots of community events,” he said. “I like giving back.”
“It’s service outreach at heart,” said Betty Taylor, 74. “It’s a wonderful ministry and something needed for the community. It also offers a good way to make yourself belong to the parish.”
Taylor lives near 126th and Wallace and began volunteering after her parish, Saints Peter and Paul, merged with Our Lady of Kibeho and others on the South Side.
Julie Cartwright, 86, came from the St. John De LaSalle Parish. “From doing this, I’ve gotten to know people,” Cartwright said. “When I came here, I said I wanted to volunteer and they put me to work right away.”
Last July, Our Lady of Kibeho — a name suggested by parishioners and approved by Cardinal Blase Cupich — came to represent the predominantly African American congregation.
For several years, a sign at the corner of 112th Street and Bishop has announced meals served by the OSP Diner from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays. The posting is missing a couple of letters and still bears the previous church name, Holy Name of Mary, but that circumstance hasn’t discouraged meal recipients.
The story of Our Lady of Kibeho relates to apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary witnessed by three high school students in Kibeho, Rwanda, in the 1980s. The visiting spirit is said to have instructed the girls to pray for peace to end war and suffering.
Ending suffering remains a part of the congregation’s mission, according to the Rev. Bob Gilbert, Our Lady of Kibeho’s pastor, who said the merger has enabled the parish to carry out additional ministries.
“We’ve seen a few more volunteers for this ministry as a result of the consolidation but we need more,” Gilbert said. “You don’t have to be a parishioner. Anyone can volunteer.”
He and Hart also confirmed that volunteering at the soup kitchen can count as community service for those sentenced to serve. “As long as they bring the paperwork, I’ll sign off,” Hart said.
On Tuesdays, Hart and others volunteer at the community center, storing away deliveries of meat, produce and dry provisions from the Greater Chicago Food Depository. She said she is confident the soup kitchen will be able to meet basic demand, but the church is looking for donations to cover inclusion of bread, fruit cups and cookies with meals.
Some of the volunteers take meals to friends and family members who are struggling. The soup kitchen also provides meals for students of the Heritage Leadership Academy, an elementary school which operates on the church campus, as well as residents of Zacchaeus House, an Archdiocesan home for men.
Susan DeGrane is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.