BRIDGETON – On the first Friday morning of December, two hours before her guests come inside from the snowy, below-freezing weather, Cindy Roames happily prepares the main lunch attraction in a large stainless steel pot.
Twenty pounds of beef. Multiple cans of red kidney beans and tomatoes. A sprinkle of oregano, a dash of chili powder. Minced cloves of garlic.
“We’re making chili with white rice,” says Roames, a volunteer with the Holy Cross Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.
Five days a week, from noon to 1 p.m., a hot meal is served to anyone who steps into the Good Shepherd Dining Room, located in the lower level of Saint Teresa of Avila Church.
Three days a week – Monday, Thursday and Friday – Roames can be found here from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The other two weekdays, she works as a paralegal.
For the Holy Cross parishioner, feeding Cumberland County’s hungry has given her a sense of purpose since her husband, Glen, passed away in 2019. “I want to give them all hope here, bring them some dignity,” she says.
‘Something Bigger than Myself’
A 2024 study from Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks and programs that address the country’s hunger crisis, found that Cumberland County had the highest food insecurity rate in the state of New Jersey: 13.1% of residents, or 1 in 8, don’t have enough to eat or know where their next meal will come from.
This is why the Good Shepherd Dining Room, which has been around for 46 years, is so important.
“I love this work, but I couldn’t do it without the team around me; we’re a cohesive unit,” says Lisa Loteck, the soup kitchen’s head cook. She first arrived in 2023, after 17 years managing elementary school kitchens for Aramark Food Services.
Those joining her in this mission are 24 volunteers, Roames included, as well as assistant cook Tina Cain. Both Loteck and Cain are part-time employees of the parish’s Saint Vincent de Paul Society conference. Volunteers come from various faith backgrounds; they include Lutherans, Baptists and Quakers.
“It’s nice to see the other churches helping out,” says Cain, a lifelong Baptist. “I feel a part of something bigger than myself here.”
That sentiment rings true on many levels, as community partners are crucial to the 73 meals provided, on average, every weekday. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey, local grocery stores, neighboring faith communities, and individual donors keep the food kitchen’s pantry, refrigerator and freezer stocked.
On this particular morning, while loading and unloading the four refrigerators and six freezers in the hall, Loteck is approached by Cain, who asks about the day’s dessert selection.
“Save the sprinkle cookies for last, so the fresh ones [muffins and mince pie] will go first,” Loteck says.
As noon approaches, men and women make their way inside, taking their places at the tables placed around the room. Among them is Charlie, a 70-year-old retired Air Force veteran and Franklinville native who spends his time teaching trade skills such as heating, electric and plumbing to individuals trying to adjust to society after time in prison.
He comes as often as he can to the soup kitchen, and sometimes brings those under his tutelage.
Marjorie Waselik, president of the parish’s Saint Vincent de Paul conference, has witnessed a great need in her 16 years with the organization, and not just for food. Patrons can get information from local social service organizations, too. Once a month, agencies stop by to offer resources on drug recovery, financial assistance, housing and more.
The space also serves as a daytime Code Blue warming shelter, providing relief on days when the temperature is 32 degrees or below.
Lunch is Served
Loteck gives the signal as the clock nears noon, and today’s guests line up to be served. As each approaches, Roames and fellow volunteer Marie Davis smile, greeting each man and woman with a full plate of chili with white rice, collard greens, vegetable soup and bread.
One of those in line is 74-year-old Bridgeton resident Virginia, who has been coming twice a week for the past 10 years. She brings with her a special treat to enhance what’s already a great meal: a Southern sweet tea flavored drink enhancer, to drop into her water.
“I meet people, and the food is good,” says the retired glass factory worker. “It’s all healthy stuff, that’s good for you. Nothing fried.”
As the 1 p.m. closing approaches, staff and volunteers further tend to their guests. Loteck hands out canned foods with easy-to-open flip tops to those without a home, while Waselik gives warm clothes to patrons upon request.
“We need to take care of our neighbors; that’s our responsibility as Christians,” Waselik notes.
This afternoon, including second plates to patrons, 69 meals are served.
Noting that the soup kitchen is the longest ongoing charitable outreach in his parish, Father Matthew Weber, pastor, expresses appreciation for all the Saint Vincent de Paul staff and volunteers who do this work in a spirit of compassion and mercy.
“Their dedication is uplifting,” he says, adding that the soup kitchen ministry shows the men and women of the community that they’re not forgotten, but valued.
For Charlie and others, each meal received is a promise. “Every time I come here, I remember that God’s watching over me,” he says.
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