Salvation Army serving free Meals with Friends this week

At 4:30 p.m. every day this week, free meals are being served at the Salvation Army building in downtown Cape Girardeau.

"Meals with Friends" is a program aimed at everyone in the community, according to Maj. Beth Stillwell.

"The reason we do it is that food stamps run out and income is down toward the end of the month," she said. "We noticed if we provided a hot meal, that helps people tremendously, to stretch [grocery money]."

She said the event is even more important now, when children who normally get one or two meals through school are out for the summer. With the high gas prices, mortgage crisis and unemployment, she said the meals are also an option for families who don't typically use social services programs.

"They may have a high medical or credit card bill," or trouble making mortgage payments, she said. "Nobody knows anyone's problems around the table unless they share it. Some people come because they are lonely and just want to sit around with other people. Some people come straight off the street, from living under one of the bridges. We provide showers before they eat."

The point is, she said, "we don't label people. Anyone can come in off the street who is hungry. We don't ask their names, or their incomes. We just need to know how many we're providing for, and they can come in and enjoy the meal."

She said members of the River Corridor Task Force and the Family Resource Center as well as from area churches and local companies have joined the meals. Some agencies and businesses use the meal as an opportunity to offer assistance and guidance on finances, housing and other programs for low-income households.

People who want to donate to "Meals with Friends" can offer a range of gifts, she said. For some, it may be the time it takes to visit the Salvation Army and strike up conversations while dining with others. Stillwell said many people who visit the center are elderly, on fixed incomes and have sparse social lives.

For others, it may be donating cooking time, such nonperishables as paper plates and napkins or plastic spoons, forks and knives. She said restaurants such as Olive Garden and Red Lobster regularly donate leftover food that is still good, but cannot be held over for commercial sale.

For the most part, however, Stillwell and her volunteers cook up batches of food — today she's serving spaghetti — for an estimated 150.

"We follow health department guidelines for safe food handling," she said.

On Wednesday night, the evening meal will be capped with a family friendly movie and free popcorn at 6 p.m.

The Salvation Army is located at 701 Good Hope St., will be serving Meals with Friends from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Call 335-7000 to learn more.