When I Was Hungry . . .

We are inviting our neighbors to a meal at our home on Saturday, February 28th at 6:00 pm. Our plan is to invite people who are already receiving donations through the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. James the Less. This way, we can start small with people who have already been referred. If we were to distribute signs through the neighborhood, the turnout might be too much for our first time!

We are eager to begin this ministry, as the corporal works of mercy are near and dear to our mission. It is not just a distribution of food--our charism is hospitality and we desire to share a warm welcome and good conversation while we break bread together. After we offer this meal, we will evaluate how it went and decide how often to offer it in the future.

Donations of food and volunteer help are both very much welcome!

As Catholic Workers, we are also looking for ways to address the underlying systemic issues. Hungry people need to be fed, but why are people hungry in the first place? In a sense, all of our activities are designed to feed people. For example, we are currently putting plans together for English classes and a community garden. At first glance, it is hard to see how those projects have anything to do with the brick and mortar work of feeding the hungry or giving drink to the thirsty. However, both of those activities are the same thing as offering a meal. In fact, they may have an even greater impact in the long run.

Teaching immigrants English will help them find work in this country so they can feed themselves and communicate with others. Community gardens help people to grow their own food and network with neighbors. As the saying goes, Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to fish and you feed them for a lifetime.

During the Great Depression, my grandparents moved out of Cleveland, OH, to a small farm in the country. They knew that no matter how bad the economy got, they would at least be able to feed themselves. Urban farming is a means to the same goal. It is a cheap and nutritious way to put food on your table. Even if the entire economy collapses, you can still be fed. This agrarian idea is at the core of the Catholic Worker tradition. Both the ESL courses and the gardens build community among neighbors.

So this is why the Catholic Worker addresses the works of mercy from both angles. As Peter Maurin* writes, "The Catholic Worker believes in Houses of Hospitality for the immediate relief of those who are in need." People are hungry right now, and they can't wait for economic systems to change. However, the ultimate goal is a restructuring of society so that people are not hungry in the first place.

If you would like to help, please call us at 614-267-3322 or email us by clicking this link. Volunteers can help cook, clean or mingle with guests. Musicians would be most welcome! Please pray that this ministry does the work of the Lord!

* Quote from the Easy Essay entitled, "What the Catholic Worker Believes" by Peter Maurin