Lunch. A Wayside staff member supervises lunch. Individuals sign up to volunteer through the Wayside office. ‘Regulars’ help week in and week out; more volunteers are always welcome. Just over 200 people come to the kitchen for lunch each day. In 2007, Wayside served 42,359 lunches with 8-12 volunteers helping at each meal. The lunch buffet includes hot soup, a sandwich, salad and a drink. Lunch hours are 12:00 to 12:50, Monday through Friday. Evening Meal. For each evening of the month, a participating group (alone or in conjunction with another group) is responsible for preparing and serving a complete evening meal. Groups come from area churches, synagogues, civic groups and businesses and operate under a consistent set of rules. In many cases they are autonomous, with volunteer coordinators making sure to have enough people on hand to cook, serve, and clean up after meals. Many nights welcome the addition of volunteers who sign up through the Wayside office. Ideally 35-40 people participate each night. Groups typically provide a $35 monthly donation to the program. Wayside staff is on hand for support and to manage clients. Dinner is a hot, nutritious meal. The hours are 6:00 to 7:00 every night of the year. Wayside has never missed a meal in its history. In 2007, Wayside served 80,779 dinners. The average cost per meal was $1.64, including administrative costs. Who Are Our Guests? Approximately half of the people eating meals at Wayside are the working poor. They live from paycheck to paycheck. With rising fuel and food costs, stretching that paycheck to last a full week is challenging. Wayside provides a way to eat and pay bills. The other half of Wayside’s consumers are homeless, with mental or physical disabilities. Wayside Soup Kitchen |
