VALPARAISO – “You can’t help but go home smiling,” said volunteer coordinator Jill Stefanski near the end of her stint on June 19 at Café Manna, hosted on most Thursdays of the month at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Student Center.
“I get so much satisfaction out of helping others … to see them in the dining room eating and talking,” she added. “It’s what these people need, and to hear their laughter is so wonderful. We sing ‘Happy Birthday’ when we know of a birthday and just have a good time.”
Stefanski has been volunteering at Café Manna for about two years and serves year round, but needs help during the summer, when regular student volunteers from Valparaiso University are on break.
Adults age 18 and older are needed for the Serve and Clean-Up Team on Thursdays through Aug. 21, except for July 3 and Aug. 7. VIRTUS training is a plus. To sign up, visit saintt.com and under Events, click on Café Manna.
Meals are served from 4:30-6:30 p.m., but the volunteer shift works from 4 to 7 p.m. “Even if you can only work for half a shift, you are welcome,” said Christine Marsh, student center secretary. “Even during the school year, we can always use an extra 2-3 adults each week.”
The soup kitchen is currently closed on the first Thursday of the month, until a new volunteer coordinator can be secured for that day.
Established in December 2001, Café Manna draws a loyal following of patrons from among Opportunity Enterprises clients and their caregivers, but also attracts local residents needing a hot meal or looking for food and fellowship.
“Both the staff and the other diners are friendly and helpful,” said Debra Levine, of Lake Station, who brings her friend, Carrie Stanley, of Portage, to the weekly meals. “I like the salisbury steak, which they served tonight, and the cookies.”
Stanley said her favorite thing about the dinners is that “all my friends are here, and I get to talk to them.”
For Angie Hogan, a caregiver employed by OE, a resource center for adults with disabilities, socialization is the key ingredient at Café Manna. “I bring my three clients, who live together in an apartment, here pretty much every week they are open.”
Tonya and Scott Irwin, of Valparaiso, enjoyed their first meal at Café Manna on June 19 after learning about it from the St. Teresa food pantry. “You get tons of food,” said Scott, who works at OE, as he enjoyed the salisbury steak, green beans and mashed potatoes, along with salads and dessert.
Peggy Marrell, of Valparaiso, appreciates the break from cooking for herself when she comes to Café Manna. “I get a balanced meal, and I get out of the house,” she said. “The volunteers, including the VU students, are very nice and helpful. It’s hard to cook for one person.”
Ruth Bonacci-Klaeser, of Chesterton, is active at St. Teresa but just joined the Café Manna volunteer staff this month. After helping serve dinner, she spent time “talking up the Mobile Market” with the diners.
On the last Thursday of every month, from noon-2 p.m. (or while supplies last), all Indiana residents can receive free groceries from the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, just by showing an Indiana driver’s license or state ID. The service is drive-thru.
“You don’t have to show a financial need, and each person with an ID receives a protein, canned goods, bread and fresh produce,” said Bonacci-Klaeser, who is also putting together a St. Teresa team of walkers to participate in the Food Bank’s Hike for Hunger on Sept. 20 at Festival Park in Hobart. Check-in is at 9 a.m., with the walk starting at 10 a.m.
Contact Bri Stimson at bstimson@foodbanknwi.org or 980-1777 x314 for more information, or register on the day of the walk.
One volunteer who was invited to volunteer at Café Manna as a VU student and is still volunteering almost two years later – post graduation – is Nathan Ringelstein, a former student volunteer coordinator. “I didn’t have any experience, but I learned on the job,” he said. “The best thing about volunteering is that everyone has so much personality, and you get to know each other quickly. The camaraderie is great, and we always have good pie.”
The adults usually do the meal prep in the morning and finish the clean-up, while the VU students serve the meals and beverages, carry trays and engage the diners. “The adults handle things at both ends of the day, while the students are in the middle,” he added.
“I’ve learned from the clients that not everyone has the same level of cognitive capacity, but you can learn how to adapt, and it helps you see people as they are,” Ringelstein said.
Stefanski said no food is wasted at Café Manna. “Leftovers are shared with The Caring Place (a domestic abuse shelter) in Valparaiso or Daybreak shelter,” she said. Meals are usually donated by local businesses or the ingredients are donated and meals are cooked at St. Teresa on the day of Café Manna.
If someone is considering becoming a volunteer, Stefanski offers encouragement “Try it, you don’t know if you’ll like it until you try it,” she said. “Your help is needed, and you can make a difference.”
Caption: Volunteer Patrick Sayers (from left), of Valparaiso, demonstrates to volunteer coordinator Jill Stefanski and his mother, volunteer Kristina Sayers, how to wrap a napkin around silverware for diners at Café Manna on June 19 at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Student Center in Valparaiso. Kristina Sayers said she and her son first volunteered at the weekly meals last Christmas, and returned this summer to help out while Valparaiso University student volunteers are on summer break. (Marlene A. Zloza photo)
