2020-08-21 StJames Meal Ministry

(Pictured above is Sue Dela Cruz, Community Meal Coordinator.)

The Congregations of St. James' Community Meal Ministries:
Feeding Body & Soul

By Sybil Nishioka, Editor

It is no secret that the Episcopal Churches on the Big Island are beacons in their neighborhoods. Whether worshiping in a beautiful steeple-topped building or on a lawn chair with sand in their toes, the faithful flock to hear the Word, and turn out in force to help others in their community.

The Episcopal Congregations of St. James' on the Big Island (which includes St. Columba's) have been an extraordinary example of churches thinking "outside the box." It has resulted in a spirit and energy that impacts the way they engage their community. From beach masses and Teen Tech, to their community's largest weekly meal event, they have attracted followers of every age and every background, rooted in faith and the love of God.

When the pandemic reached our shores in March, life as we knew it changed overnight, and the way we "did church" changed as well. Always a step ahead, St. James' had already been live-streaming their services for several years, and while some churches scrambled to set up social media accounts, update their websites, or learn how to record and post online sermons, St. James' had all of that in place. Meanwhile, people were losing their jobs, businesses closed, and there were a lot of hungry mouths to feed. Food ministries around the Diocese adapted by packaging and distributing meals drive-through style, including St. James'.

What prompted this article though, was actually something I had read in their weekly e-news about the new meal ministry at St. Columba's. When I inquired further and learned more, it became apparent that there was a much larger story behind the new meal ministry. But because St. James' and St. Columba's are so entwined, sharing clergy, leadership, volunteers, and even a kitchen, you can't really talk about one without the other... and so we start from the beginning.

Waimea Community Meals

On December 16, 2016, St. James' in Waimea held its first weekly community meal in their pavilion, serving 80 dinners. Soon after, they partnered with Big Island Giving Tree to include deliveries to kupuna and the homeless. As the word spread, so did the ministry. Before the pandemic hit, they were serving over 350 meals every Tuesday. About 100 of those meals were packaged and delivered, and the rest were served to all who showed up at the pavilion. Patrons were treated to a delicious dinner with music, dancing, laughter and activities for the children.

Tim Bostock, who is the Junior Warden and co-Chair with Jane Sherwood, has been a driving force to establish and run this meal ministry. He has the all-important task to make sure they have cash sponsors every week, and to apply for grants to help fund meal operations.

Tim's experience running huge street festivals in London and Honolulu for upwards of 20,000 people, probably played a role in his ability to orchestrate a wonderful event week after week. His background as a music producer has also had an impact. From the beginning, Tim made sure there was live music for folks to enjoy during dinner. When the pandemic forced them to switch to a drive-through operation, the music continued.

"We have used my PA to pump out Motown, Boogie-Woogie, Soul, Disco, even Led Zeppelin," shared Tim. "Just about every guest that comes through tells us how much they love the music. When they’re waiting in line, they turn off their engines, open the windows, and enjoy the party sounds. Often, they’re dancing in their seats when they roll up to the distribution stations." He adds, "To me, this weekly event absolutely satisfies my need to be providing celebrations for the community."

In 2019 alone, St James' served 15,789 meals! It's an impressive figure which has since been dwarfed by the numbers they are reaching today. From January through July of this year, they have already served over 14,000 meals!

Community support and volunteers are key

Along with Tim, Jane, and an army of over 140 volunteers, is Sue Dela Cruz (pictured here and at top), the Community Meal Coordinator, and currently the only paid worker. She does all the ordering and works closely with Tim to calculate how many pounds of meat, veggies, noodles, rice, salad and bread are needed every week for the different meals. They have to monitor the cycle of food being donated, bought and stored in the freezer, and then plan how and when to thaw and cook it.

But it's the dozens of volunteers that make this ministry possible. Many come from outside the church to help wash, chop, prepare veggies, pack meals, deliver and serve. With today's social distancing and safety protocols in place, they have had to cut back on the number of volunteers they can have working at the same time. It's an added challenge to accommodate the huge increase in meals with less hands.

Farmers donate produce, and CostCo donates items every week that are shared with other community groups in Waimea and the Hamakua Coast. Folks bake and share cookies, bakeries donate bread, and ranchers donate beef and pork from time to time, although the main protein is usually purchased.

St. Columba's joins in

Meanwhile, twenty miles away at St. Columba's, the Rev. Linda Lundgren saw a need in the community of Pa'auilo, triggered by the pandemic. It wasn't long before she and Sue put the wheels in motion for a community meal to be served out of St. Columba's. On April 21, 2020, they held their first community meal distribution and have since served over 5,000 meals. They plan to continue it every Thursday.

St. Columba's doesn't have an adequate kitchen, so the meals are prepared at St. James', then transported to St. Columba's where volunteers package and distribute them. With the St. James' kitchen now pumping out close to 1,200 meals each week, nearly 3-1/2 times more than pre-pandemic times, the challenge to sustain the program has been taxing. In July alone, they spent over $10,000 for the two weekly events, costs that were covered by meal sponsors and grants secured by Tim. With the added work involved, they are now seeking a part-time meal coordinator (paid) to help Sue with the St. Columba's meal.

Space is a huge issue as well. "A full half of the church has been taken over with storage for our equipment," said Tim, "and for three days a week the church is filled with volunteers chopping, prepping, making casseroles, boxing meals, and cleaning up."

With services in the church on hold, it isn't a problem right now, but Tim is seeking grants to rebuild St. Columba's kitchen. He is also working on grants to rebuild the pavilion at St. James' into an even larger gathering space, with a full commercial kitchen, classrooms, and studio apartment above for an assistant rector "that we know we’ll need soon."

Yes, despite the pandemic, the church is growing. "We didn’t start the meals as an evangelical program, but it has turned out to be," said Tim. "Now, half of our current Vestry came into the church because of the Community Meals program."

Intern program

Recently, St. James' started up a Meal Intern program to involve youth and young adults in the meal program. "There are many youth in our community taking time off from college, staying home for the time being while they plan their next move, and looking for direction," said Tim Bostock. "We can be a safe place where they meet and talk with other youth and adults, develop social and practical skills, learn how to lead, and discover the many and enormous benefits of volunteering for their community. We, in turn, are boosted by their energy and positivity, and have way more fun because they’re around."

At right is Grace, one of the interns, prepping a meal.

What if?

In closing, I share a few words from Fr. David Stout's Sunday sermon a couple weeks ago that were profound in its simplicity. With the uncertainty of our times, he tells us not to ask "What now? but What if?" With those few simple words, he changed hopelessness into hope.

It is clear that this shepherd cares for his flock and knows how to inspire them to "think outside the box," always trusting in the Lord to guide them.

And, being the humble person that he is who always deflects credit, Fr. David shared this: "Please donʻt use any [pictures] of me. They are the ones that deserve all the praise. I am blessed to be a part of this amazing group of servants. What they have accomplished and are accomplishing is nothing short of a miracle. Peace be with you!"

I am pretty sure they are feeling blessed too.

To learn more about the St. James' Community Meal Ministry, visit their website HERE where you can also view videos about their meal program.