Church’s breakfast offers fellowship too

Meagan Cranford and several dozen other food bank recipients didn’t have to wait in line Tuesday for their monthly food supplements: They were invited to sit down for breakfast at the Audubon Park United Methodist Church in northwest Spokane.

“It’s the most amazing program,” Cranford said.

About four years ago, church members started hosting free breakfasts every other Tuesday to coincide with the church’s food bank distribution days.

The breakfasts have been so popular that the church at 3908 N. Driscoll Blvd. started holding them every Tuesday morning starting a month ago.

“It really does help,” said Cranford, who is raising two boys and is married. “We don’t have a lot extra.”

On Tuesday, breakfast consisted of pancakes, fruit, oatmeal, cinnamon rolls, coffee and juice.

Cranford said she is partial to the scrambled eggs and salsa whipped up by the volunteers.

Those who show up for monthly Food Bank supplements are given a number at the door before moving to the fellowship hall. There, they are greeted by large round tables with bright tablecloths. Ceramic dishes and stainless steel utensils are used, not paper or plastic.

At the tables, the community guests can visit while waiting to go to the food bank outlet room to receive their distributions. Others not waiting for food bank distributions are welcome as well.

Church volunteers, who put on the breakfast and food distributions, socialize with the community members.

Lou Dobberstein, a retired City Hall worker, said at least 50 people usually come to the breakfast, sometimes more.

Food is provided through Second Harvest of the Inland Northwest, the main food bank distribution center in Spokane and through other donations.

In addition to breakfast, Second Harvest provides surplus produce that it has on hand.

Tuesday’s produce selections included apples, bananas, onions, potatoes, a box of bell peppers and lettuce donated by a local gardener. The table also had rice and soy meals packed at Northwood Middle School through the Something to Eat youth program.

That food is available in addition to the food bank’s monthly supplements.

Dobberstein, a member of the church for 40 years, said a big part of the event is the socializing, which meshes with the church’s mission of building fellowship.

“It’s the contact,” he said. “That is just as important as the food.”

He said one of the regular attendees told him he was getting a divorce. They talked for 45 minutes.

Another man lost his wife a year ago. So the volunteers have been reaching out to him with friendship.

“That is something that has surprised me about this,” Dobberstein said of the fellowship.

Some of the community members arrived as early as 7 a.m. even though the doors don’t open until 8:30 a.m. The food bank distributions start at 9:30 a.m. The breakfast winds down about 10 a.m.

Among the treats on hand Tuesday was a box of assorted cookies baked by 89-year-old Della Perlenfein, the mother-in-law of church volunteer Kirk White.

In another bonus for the Tuesday events, one of the church members organizes a table with donated personal hygiene products and household items. One basket is filled with those small motel soaps and shampoo products.

Sandi Nicol said she calls her program Bare Necessities.

“I just saw a need,” she said. “We all take for granted we can go buy soap and a toothbrush.”

In addition to the food bank and Tuesday breakfasts, church members are going to launch a monthly lunch. The first one is set for Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at the church fellowship hall.

Second Harvest is supplying meat for the meal.

Dobberstein said the food programs are becoming so well attended that the church is going to put up a sign to call its outreach work the Community Table.