Thursday, June 17, 1999
Parish Kitchen marks 25 years of dishing out respect
All needy are welcome
BY SUSAN VELA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON — They're the homeless, the hungry, the poor, the mentally ill and the chemically dependent. And, for 25 years as of today,Parish Kitchen has welcomed them with a warm plate of food and, if needed, extra helpings of respect and hospitality.
“The people here are good,” said Rick Hammond, 48, of Covington, who has seen hard times and sought the comfort of Parish Kitchen, on and off, for 15 years. He lives on Social Security checks and visited the kitchen earlier this week, eating a summer meal of two hot dogs, pasta salad, chips and a turnover.
“They help out,” he said. “They always treat people right.”
Earlier this week, men be gan to line up outside the kitchen about 11 a.m. They sat in the courtyard, shared a few words and played a little basketball. A half hour later, they entered the clean, well-lighted building that is decorated with pictures of themselves, their children's report cards and butterflies, ladybugs and farm animals made from colorful construction paper.
Parish Kitchen Director Molly Navin was on hand to offer a hug or a personal greeting such as “Shirley, how are you doing?”
Of the guests, some had suitcases and some had plastic bags. Some were children. Some talked and helped maintain the steady hum of conversation throughout the room, while others ate their meal and left. The meal was intended to fill them up for the whole day.
“There are five reasons they come back,” Ms. Navin said. “Attention, affection, dignity, hospitality and respect. They know how to love and they have grace and dignity.”
Volunteers, who number about 450, say they don't mind keeping up the 25-year, daily routine of preparing food in the evenings, serving it around noontime the next day and cleaning up afterward if it means they help out the less fortunate.
An average crowd for the daily meal is about 165, Ms. Navin said, which equals about 60,000 meals a year.
“It's obvious that they help people that need to be helped,” said volunteer Jim Bradley, 52, of Fort Wright. “I most enjoy the fact that I can make a contribution and maybe even relate to them.”
That spirit of giving, which comes from churches and private citizens who have kept the kitchen alive through donations, promises to continue for another 25 years if not longer.
The kitchen is under the auspices of Catholic Charities and operates on an annual spending plan of $150,000, which includes salaries for three full-time employees.
Parish Kitchen opened in 1974 at 141 Pike St., on the corner of Russell street and the site of a former bar.
Founder William Mertes was the priest at Mother of God Church. He said he started Mother of God Parish Kitchen because the area was changing and more and more people were knocking on the church's door for more than just religion.
“Poor people were at the door constantly for a sandwich or some thing to eat,” he said. “We needed to do something better rather than just having a beautiful church.”
The first meal was in one of the storage rooms of the present kitchen. There were 35 volunteers to feed five guests.
Volunteer Betty Trenkamp, 44, of Covington, remembers that stew was served for the first meal. She was 19.
“It was a former bar, so basically we used the bar counter for the food,” she said.
She was so inspired that she continued to volunteer when she would return home from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green and went on to become a teacher.
Steve Ispherding, 54, of Madeira, has been a volunteer for nine years. The retired social studies teacher used to bring his eighth-grade students to the kitchen on field trips.
It was amazing, he said, how some youngsters would be nervous and frightened before entering the kitchen and how, after mingling and talking to those less fortunate than themselves, they would want to return. Mr. Ispherding noted that some of his former students have become his fellow volunteers.
“It's not just the food. It's a place where they can feel good about themselves and linger (over their meal). These people are treated as guests, with a lot of dignity and respect.”
“I think the world of it,” he said, grilling hot dogs before Tuesday's lunch hour.
“They say that the poor will always be with us,” Ms. Navin said. “With that in mind, and with the support of the community, we'll be here forever.”
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