Greensburg church hosts holiday tea to raise money to feed the needy

The aroma of garlic bread greeted lunch guests inside a Greensburg church social hall.

They arrived just before noon Wednesday, peeled off their winter coats and grabbed a glass of water or cup of coffee.

For some, the steaming plate of rigatoni may have been the only meal they would see that day — or longer.

“It just makes us happy, we’re serving the community,” said organizer Sandy Cullen. “We’re just doing what God wants us to do.”

The kitchen at Trinity United Methodist Church has been bustling for nearly two years as volunteers prepare free weekly homemade meals for the needy in the community. They bake pies, make fish and send guests off with a packed lunch and snacks, said organizer Bonnie Shuey, church secretary.

But to keep the ministry going, they need community support. A holiday tea is planned for Sunday at the church in an effort to raise money to fund the meals, which are attended each week by an average of 50 guests. The 2 p.m. event costs $15. It includes afternoon tea, scones, finger sandwiches, prizes, a silent auction and cookie and candy trays for sale.

“We really need it to be well-attended,” Cullen said.

Shuey and Cullen started the weekly meals in January 2018 after seeing a need.

“There were homeless people sleeping out here on the ramp of the church,” Cullen said.

Cullen runs a local nonprofit and Shuey, her cousin, knew she would be able to help with the logistics of getting the meals started, despite being a member of a different church — St. John Baptist de la Salle in Delmont. They had five guests the first week and were hopeful the word would spread to others in need.

“It was just a few weeks until we had 25, 30 people in here,” Cullen said. “We’ve gotten to know them, we sit down and talk with them, find out what their problems are.”

They’ve seen as many as 70 guests and the number fluctuates throughout the month.

June Orr, 84, of Greensburg said it’s a meal she doesn’t have to worry about preparing for herself.

“It’s a day to look forward to when you can have fellowship with other people first and partake of a meal that these wonderful volunteers from this church donate their time,” she said. “They don’t have to do this. … We all appreciate it.”

The meals cost about $250 weekly. The ministry has received two $5,000 grants and donations from church members and others in the community in the past two years. Volunteers are members at the Trinity church, Luxor United Methodist Church and nonprofit human services organizations Community Living Care and Merakey.

They share joy when a guest gets into a more stable life situation and worry when a regular doesn’t show up, Cullen said.

“I think it’s fantastic the way it’s grown,” Shuey said, “and we feel like a family now.”