Historic Meals Program 1980-1992

Let me start by saying  Pastor Paul's Mission's 'soup kitchen' evolved. It evolved from homemade vegetable beef soup, brought in  weekly by a member of the church served with cheese sandwiches, salads and fruit to meals you find in a nice restaurant.
Most soup kitchen's today feature great food and love to go with it! Maybe we need to do something about the name?

Pastor Paul's Mission Hot Meals Program was simply the best. The best food served in an atmosphere comparable to a nice restaurant. Complete with separate tables for private dining for families or individuals who wanted to dine alone. The tables and chairs were purchased along with all the other equipment from a restaurant equipment wholesale supply. Instead of individual plates compartment trays were used so they could be prepped with bread items, garnishes, napkins and silverware ahead of time. Vases with silk flowers were on all of the tables to start with after the major dining room renovation took place in 1985. Then eventually they were removed because they got in the way. We used them on Seniors Day. But the salt and pepper shakers remained for years until eventually they all mysteriously disappeared two at a time.

The day started by a Hot Breakfast Buffet. It opened at 8:00am and lasted until 9:00am. Equipment was purchased from the restaurant supply to make this renovation similar to a restaurant as shown above with steam tables, bakery racks with trays of prepped foods, sinks and refrigeration on the buffet line and convection ovens and grills in the kitchen. The buffet line started with cereal and milk, Danish rolls and donuts, various refrigerated  juices, cartons of milk, and in the steam table were breakfast meats, pancakes, scrambled eggs and hash brown potatoes, biscuits and gravy or omelets. Food combinations changed from day to day depending on donated foods available and the numbers of people expected to be served. The Breakfast Buffet line was informal and guests could come up more than once.  Wait staff served the food and cleaned tables. The coffee table was set up separately for easy access. It closed at 9:00am sharp because we had to get ready to open the Grocery Shelf at 9:30am.

The Breakfast Meal evolved. It started with a coffee pot and breakfast rolls. Then we added canned fruit in portion cups. Then cereal and milk was added. Because we needed someone to attend to these foods we started to look at equipment to make the job easier. The next thing you know we have a full blown incredible Breakfast Buffet with biscuits and gravy and sausage and scrambled eggs. Just like most things it's one step at a time if you are ready to take the next step. We always took the next step.

When do we eat! Did someone say lunch? In 1985 the Dining Room was renovated. Under a clay colored carpet were beautiful terrazzo floors. The carpeting had to go along with the folding tables with attached stools, and play equipment that consisted of a wooden jungle gym. Instead we would have terrazzo floors, custom made curtains, brass railings, four-top tables with silk flower vases, glass tables on the stage area with mirrors and 36"x36" Andy Warhol frames displaying posters of people and places around the world. A hole in the wall had to be made above the stove so food can be delivered to guests by wait staff. A Host station needed to be made to stop guests from sitting before we are ready for them. A place for anticipation to enter and dine and share a good meal with children and friends.

Cooking equipment needed to be installed like steam jacketed 40 gallon cookers, convection ovens, commercial dishwasher, 24ft walk-in cooler, bakery trays and racks, compartment trays and pots and pans and bowls and silverware, booster seats and linen.
 

And then there was food and more food and delicious food. Baked Chicken with Potatoes & Gravy, Broiled Catfish with Rice and Red Beans, Pork Ribs with Sauerkraut,  Spaghetti and Handmade Meatballs, Homemade Chili with Hot Dogs and Chips, Homemade Chow Mein, Homemade Macaroni & Cheese and  Grilled Vegetables,  BBQ Pork Sandwiches with French Fried Potatoes and on and on. Salads, coleslaws, fresh fruit, dessert items, such as cookies or snack cakes, and bread, pickles and garnishes were incorporated in the meal plan. It was very good.

People still ask, 'Pastor Paul why don't you have them meals anymore...when are you going to have lunch again...those meals were so good.'

Did someone say Soup Kitchen? Right this way sir.
 

Historic Senior's Day 1985-1992

In 1985-86 many daily volunteers were seniors in their sixties and seventies. They helped with the cooking, hanging the clothing, answering the telephones, packing food and groceries and serving meals. They came from all over, Minneapolis, St Paul, the  suburbs, other churches and from the Grocery Shelf and Meals Programs.  Many became very good friends who were always there when you needed them which was often. They generally had a good word and were always amazed at our achievements of which they played an important part. Now it was time for them to have some fun-Senior's Day!

We started by recruiting helpers since many of the volunteers would be enjoying the day.  Of course we couldn't expect them to help on a day meant for them to enjoy. Well along come some faithful church members. There was Alicia and Paul worked together selling real estate who came in each month and Sue would play the piano and sing and help with meal preparations. Carolyn would bring her Mom and help with groceries. Many others would just show up and some of the senior volunteers refused to just sit so they would check in the guests or make sure the coffee station was stocked. And then there were the special guests like 'Skip' Humphrey who helped prep and serve a meal on St Patrick's Day. We inadvertently said it was a special day to him because he was Irish. He corrected us quickly and stated he was Welch (from Wales). We all had a memorable time. Skip is shown on the Volunteer Registration page in the kitchen prepping lunch trays with his aid Bill and Charity our regular senior volunteer who worked with us for ten years full time. We all loved Charity!

What a day it was complete from start to finish. It started the day before prepping food for a special Dinner Buffet. Then we would decorate all the tables with table cloths and center pieces or vases of flowers. Usually the theme was some monthly holiday like Valentines Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day were the very obvious holidays. Or maybe it would be a Hawaiian Luau or Talent Show or Fashion Show. The theme just added to the fun of it all.

All of the guests would have to sign in. Then to the coffee and Continental Breakfast Table set up with Danish, rolls, and juice and coffee. Then open the Clothing Closet stocked with clothing and household items. Then everyone was seated in the dining room and our special guests would come such as Attorney General Humphrey and share vital information for seniors. Most time we would rent a movie from Billy Graham or sponsor a senior participation event like a Fashion Show.

Many times our own senior's four member band played. We discovered our senior Charles at the Talent Contest. He sang so good we were all so amazed he sounded like Frank Sinatra. Come to find out he was a musician drummer with his own band that played at various parties. So they set up their sound equipment on the stage and left it permanently there and played when we needed them. After the band played and the dancing was finished it was time to eat. A grand Lunch Buffet was served. Then it was time for the announcements and free $100 cash drawing that the church sponsored. Someone went home with $100 check. To stave off disappointments since only one winner walked away with the cash we had free drawings for pies and cakes and other specialty baked goods. Finally, coming to a close everyone lined up said their good byes and received grocery bags packed with just the foods they liked.  The only thing left was the clean-up!

Men settle in talk and eat the soup and hot vending machine sandwiches.  Later they will hit the streets with a brown bag lunch just like mom used to make, 2 sandwiches, fresh fruit, Danish rolls and candy bars.

Tonight blankets are distributed and needed. At -20ºF its not really Minnesota nice, but then again, no one cares. Many wear a look of defeat others describe stories of survival on the streets like an attribute of the Red Badge of Courage. They are on the front lines on the street.

It's time to leave the white bus with the picture of Jesus calling to those who have fallen between the cracks. The 25 seat mobile dining room, a cafe on wheels, rumbles across the muddy roads along the railroad tracks heading back home to Pastor Paul's Mission to be renewed.

Jim Robertson captain and commander of the bus dedicated to its mission and men. When the Target center was built he moved around and lost some of his regulars, then with the Grocery Distribution growing he was needed to truck in all the food donations. It was time to end this great adventure. Many lives were touched. Hobos talked about the infamous bus nationwide-Hobos found a friend.

Jim's Story

One night in January, the coldest night of all the Hobo Bus nights, I had the soup on the stove, hot sandwiches being served, the propane heater pumping hot air trying to offset the -40ºF temperature outside.  It was a warm 50ºF inside the soup bus. Wind chill was -60ºF outside that night.

A few brave or should I say hungry souls had come in to get warmed and filled. Probably 12 men or there a bouts. We were enjoying the warmth and talking when we saw what we thought was a group of men through the frosty windows running towards the bus.

It ended up being three men with big fat backpacks on that would not fit through the door. In their haste for warmth they ditched the packs outside on the ground and crashed into the seats that were not taken.  All three men had frostbite on their fingers, noses and cheeks. I gave them hot soup and sandwiches and tried to get them warmed up the best I could.  Two of the men ended up staying for six weeks at my house at 900 Penn Av N purchased by the church where three other guys from the church lived who volunteered.

Come to find out they had just jumped off an open rail car.  They had their tent set up on the rail car from Washington State and were nestled in their sleeping bags, nice and toasty. When the third man yelled that they were in Minneapolis.  They quickly go out of their sleeping bags and tore down the tent getting ready to jump off.  Almost immediately all their stuff froze, the tent, sleeping bags, everything that had perspiration from their body heat including their clothes.

The worst thing was that they were in St Cloud Minnesota not Minneapolis-the train was scheduled to stop in Minneapolis. It was another 45 minutes and they could not set up the frozen tents and bags.  They were hurting bad when they hit Minneapolis. I have not heard from them since, but, after having two of them live with me for six weeks it seemed that they had pulled through OK.                Jim Robertson

Some people standing in the bread lines were secure until they lost a job by a company relocation or a down turn in the economy where a lay-off could not be avoided. Fixed income is another economic hazard when unexpected expenses come your way like needing a new furnace or plumbing problems.  And then there are those accidents, car accidents, houses that burn to the ground or God forbid an unexpected death in the family can change many an economic picture for the worst. Some loose jobs and can not get rehired because they lack marketable skills or behavioral deficiencies. For them the bottom has dropped out.