Street Spirit October 2004

A Good Meal with a Big Helping of Love

Funding shortages forced a cutback in the Quarter Meal for the poor in Berkeley.  Enter a few idealistic people who like to cook and are committed to helping others.

Story and photo by Lydia Gans

It was a shock when the Berkeley Emergency  Food and Housing Project (BEFHP) announced last March that they would have to cut down the Quarter Meal servings to three days a week. As many as 200 people a day have been depending on a decent hot meal every weekday for almost 30 years.

The problem leading to the cutback of this vitally needed meal program was, of course, a shortage of money. BEFHP found that they couldn't afford to buy all the necessary food and supplies and pay their staff a living wage and decent benefits. So a couple Quarter Meal workers lost their jobs or had their hours cut - adding more people to the growing lines of the poor and hungry - and a lot of folks now have to struggle even harder to survive.

When BEFHP let it be known that the Quarter Meal was in trouble, a number of concerned people - including local politicos, the mayor of Berkeley, and representatives of churches and social service programs - began holding meetings to try to find a way to continue providing the meals. They are still meeting, working to find other sources of funding and trying to enlist neighboring communities in a joint effort.

In the meantime, relying on volunteers appears to be the only solution. BEFHP can help a volunteer group serve meals by providing minimal funds for a few basics such as paper plates. The volunteers, in turn, would have to hustle up donations of food, prepare the meals and serve them.

Enter a few idealistic people who like to cook and are committed to helping others. Many of them have been on the receiving end at some time in their lives; now they're volunteering their time and energy to make sure there is a meal on Thursdays and Fridays to replace the Quarter Meal. With great energy and dedication, they collect the food, cook in the Veteran's Building basement kitchen and serve in People's Park.

Ina (short for Kristina) Ehrenfeucht has been coordinator of Dorothy Day House for nearly 14 years, providing breakfasts and dinners at the men's shelter or in People's Park. Hearing that the Quarter Meal would cut out two meals a week, she decided to add those meals to her program. 

Ina asked Richard Weaver to help cook. Richard loves to cook; and he has a little catering business of his own. From time to time, when he gets inspired, he puts together a great meal and invites his friends to share.

Ultimately, the board of Dorothy Day House decided that they were already maxed out and would not sponsor these additional meals. At that point, J.C. Orton, the mainstay of Night on the Streets Catholic Worker, stepped in as the sponsor.

It is not a simple task to prepare a meal for 150 or more people. Many pounds of fruits and vegetables have to be washed and chopped, giant pots have to be stirred, and lots of stuff must be carried and transported. But Ina and Richard are joined by a truly dedicated team of volunteers.

"The crew that works here now is better than any catering crew I've ever hired," Richard declares with pride. "These guys are IT!"

Most of them have known what it's like to be homeless. Philip Williams has seen some hard times and has come full circle from first starting out as a cook 37 years ago. Coming back to cooking after "doing lots of things in the meantime," he has decided that cooking is what he likes best.

"Seeing people eat has always made me happy," Philip declares. "Making sure that people eat is a good thing. If people can start their day with a good meal, they can make it through the day well - or end their day well." That is what it's all about for him. 

Kevin Foos recently moved to Berkeley from Rochester, New York, where he was active with the Catholic Worker. While his wife is a student at UCB, he says, "I'm trying to stay connected and keep helping. It's a good way to do, feed people, not only with nourishment but feelings and good love... I put as much love in the food as I can."

Other volunteers expressed the same sentiments. The food they serve reflects the love and the creativity of a group of dedicated cooks who put together a meal from whatever donations they manage to garner each day. These cooks pride themselves on preparing delicious meals, out of a belief that hungry people living stressful lives need high-quality meals.

Richard explains, "Ina and I are sort of directors (but) there's nobody in charge. If Eric or Jim comes up with an idea, fine."

I checked out their meal service last Thursday. There was a seasoned, mashed potato dish, pasta with sausages, fish sticks, a delicious tofu and squash dish for vegetarians, and a lovely mixed green salad. For dessert, there were little packages of Ghirardelli chocolate squares and tea or Pepsi to drink. No wonder half the diners lined up for seconds. (Philip, in strict confidence, gave me the recipe for his tofu squash dish!)

Even though Richard Weaver has other part-time occupations, getting these meals out has become the main focus of his life. He is very committed. "I know that I can't screw up and not show up one day," he says. His admiration for his coworkers, and especially for Ina, is boundless.

"She's a walking, talking saint," Richard declares, and tells about her kindness and caring for everyone.

Ina herself is matter-of-fact about it all. "It's a job that needs to be done," she explains. "A need which needs to be filled. I enjoy doing it."

Many members of the team are good enough to cook professionally, but doing this particular meal gives them special satisfaction. Richard reflects that "most of the people who come to the meals are friends of mine."

Philip says, "We do this because we care about people and we try to give back to the community as best we can." Possibly he is reflecting on his own path in life when he says, "Everybody here is somebody - and has been somebody before."

No one knows how long they will have to continue doing this, or if and when the Quarter Meal can resume the five-day meal servings at Trinity Church, or what will happen when the weather gets cold and rainy.

But Ina and Richard and the rest of the crew have another vision - launching a catering business of their own. They've already had one gig, a graduation dinner at the Options program for 200 people, and a commitment to do future events.

They are enthusiastic and good at what they do. Knowing who they are and where they're coming from, we predict that they won't be catering to the rich, but to those folks who need, and who should have, a good meal with a big helping of love.

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