Fried egg sandwiches, grilled peanut butter and jelly, and soup are on the menu for the March 2 debut of the JustFood Truck.
After months of starts and stops and more than a few disappointing setbacks, this newest addition to the Diocese of Missouri's Jubilee Ministry will begin a regular weekly food service. Each Saturday beginning March 2, the JustFood Truck will be taking orders and serving free hot food from the parking lot at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis.
The Rev. Deacon Barbi Click began dreaming of this ministry more than two years ago. She's received thousands of dollars in grants and donations to purchase and equip the truck. She's also dealt with faulty breaks, electrical problems, and great deal of required paperwork along the way.
Her goal is to bring good food directly to people who are hungry throughout the Diocese. She's beginning in downtown St. Louis and hopes to expand as the ministry grows. Deacon Barbi says it's important to be consistent -- to show up at the same time and the same location each week, which will build trust with the people being served.
The JustFood Truck will be depending on volunteers from throughout the Diocese and the community to succeed. Deacon Barbi is hoping to get all food and serving products donated by parishes. She is asking volunteers to cook, serve, greet, clean, and pray.
Along with serving food to people who are hungry, Deacon Barbi says the JustFood Truck will serve as a tool for evangelism. She hopes to offer a ministry of presence for the people her group of volunteers will be serving. "We want to be very careful about not offering toxic charity," Deacon Barbi said. "We want to always remember to respect the dignity of every human being."
Deacon Barbi hopes to build relationships with the people on the street and share their stories as she visits churches throughout the Diocese. "This is just a BandAid. We'll never be able to cure hunger this way. The change comes by changing people's hearts."
