Tuesday, December 2, 2003
At a time of year when most people are gathering with family and friends to celebrate the holidays, some Louisiana residents are getting a taste of the homeless life.
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Area
residents receive their simple meal of soup and cornbread
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Volunteers
serve participants at the Poor Man's Supper |
Each year, just prior to Thanksgiving, an annual event dating back more than
30 years takes place at a soup kitchen in Shreveport. Christian Services, a
local non-profit, sponsors the "Poor Man's Supper," a fund-raising
event designed to give area residents the same dining experience as those who
are hungry and homeless.
A simple meal of soup and cornbread underscores the plight of the poor and the
homeless in the area. "We want to build awareness that folks in Shreveport
go to bed hungry," says Brother Giovanni Reid, the director of Christian
Services.
Located in the heart of the city's poorest neighborhood, the soup kitchen serves
more than 200 each day. Since the dining area only seats 50, the diners must hurry
through their meal to make room for the next group to be served. Each rotation
begins with a prayer.
Now in its 33rd year of operation, Christian Services was one of the first
organizations in Shreveport to address the issue of homelessness. In addition
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Brother
Giovanni Reid, the director of Christian Services, greets those in attendance.
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to the soup kitchen, they also operate several transitional housing shelters
that are funded in part with HUD Emergency Shelter Grant and Community Development
Block Grant funds. A variety of homeless prevention and supportive services
including assistance with utilities, medication, and rent is also offered by
Christian Services.
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A
young performing group brings emphasis to the problems the homeless face. |
Since the soup kitchen was established in 1983, more than a million meals have
been served to the homeless. As the hundreds of Shreveport residents who attended
the Poor Man's Supper join family and friends during the upcoming holidays, they
will no doubt think of the homeless who gather at the soup kitchen each day for
their simple meal. They now have a new appreciation for the reality of poverty
and hunger in their community, the work being done by Christian Services and the
challenges faced daily by the homeless.
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