Three years ago the Task Force on Poverty was formed in Alliance with Tim Stadem, Pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church, as chairman. The Alliance Ministerial Association was concerned about the number of requests they were receiving from individuals needing assistance. They also worried that their limited funds were duplicating services offered by other agencies in our area.
The Task Force on Poverty members are local pastors, representatives of several governmental and nonprofit organizations, and community members. Meetings are held once a month and are coordinated by Stadem and Jessica Lecher of the Panhandle Partnership.
The first major project of the Task Force on Poverty was the formation of the Community Table. In May, 2018, Food Bank of the Heartland in Omaha reported that summer was a difficult time for families who live in poverty. Children who were receiving free meals at their schools were going to be eating at home, causing an additional drain on a family’s limited resources. And parents might have to reduce hours at their jobs to care for children.
In that same issue of the paper was a story from Alliance Public Schools saying that all children could eat free meals at the school during the month of June even if they weren’t taking summer school classes. But on June 30 the federally funded program would be ending, and meals would not resume until school began again in August. The Task Force decided the best assistance they could provide was to serve meals to these families over the summer.
In July and August, 2018, sack lunches or meals were provided Monday through Friday in the city park on the west side of the Knight Museum. Local businesses and service organizations fed 60-70 people each day. Initially Community Table planned to serve children and their parents or grandparents. The committee realized there were a number of adults in Alliance who had food insecurity issues as well, so Community Table put signs around town inviting everyone who needed a meal to join us.
The summer program was so successful that the Task Force on Poverty spun off a separate board just for Community Table with Tammy Suit as chairman. The Masonic Center at 3rd and Laramie provided space, and the board coordinates volunteers from businesses, churches, organizations, school groups, and families who are willing to feed the hungry one day a month.
Every day Monday through Thursday people line up at the Laramie Street door of the Masonic Center. At 11:30 the door opens and people are greeted by an RSVP volunteer. They sign in and head to the counter where they pick up a hot, nutritious meal. On Fridays, Grab & Go meals are served instead. At noon people receive a sack lunch by the 3rd Street entrance of the Masonic Center. Meal service ends at 12:30 every day.
“On several occasions I have heard a similar grateful response from individuals: ‘If it weren’t for this meal at noon, we would be eating only one meal a day,’” says Stadem. He adds, “This effort of compassion for those who experience food scarcity is a vital step in the larger effort of building bridges out of debilitating poverty. A key dimension in this meal is the expression of dignity for each person who gathers around our tables of support.”
Since Community Table opened at the Masonic Center in October, 2018, Suit says over 12,000 meals have been served. An average of forty people eat there each day. In 2019, 300 individuals volunteered around 3000 hours cooking meals, serving, and cleaning up, and the Community Table can always use more helpers! If you would like to get involved in any way, contact coordinator Whitney Baldwin at 308-455-9175.
Over the next few months, the Task Force on Poverty will be presenting more information about agencies in Box Butte County which deal with problems faced by those who live in poverty. Bridges Out of Poverty will be holding a day-long conference on June 11, 2020, at the Alliance High School Commons. This organization has a global reputation for helping understand the lives of those who live in poverty. Watch for more information as we develop strategies to deal with this all-too-common problem facing so many in our area.