Volunteers at Christ Lutheran Church feed Freeport’s homeless

When the church doors opened, the guests lined up to get a plate, as the aroma of freshly baked bread and chicken and pastries filled the room. Dressed in aprons, with gloves and hairnets, the volunteers from the Freeport INN soup kitchen, covered plates with freshly cooked food, and served each guest with a welcoming smile. The long line of hungry people extended out and to the side of Christ Lutheran Church off N. Grove Street in Freeport, to receive a meal - for many, it would be their first and their last for the day.

“Homeless people, who live on the street, come to us wearing the same clothes over and over again, day after day, all covered with soot, because they depend upon us to get a meal,” said Cheryl Ann, a Freeport INN volunteer. “There are people who sit here for the whole hour, just waiting to see if there’s any leftovers so they can have food to take with them for dinner.”

The Freeport INN’s soup kitchen is open to anyone looking for a meal. Though daily they serve lunch, through generous donations from church and community they have also been able to provide the homeless with clothing. The Christ Lutheran Church and its volunteers operate the soup kitchen.

On weekdays, volunteers from the Freeport INN devote an hour of their day to prepare and serve meals and give away clothing. All of the volunteers work together as a team to help each of the visitors seeking assistance. Most of the volunteers have their own personal reasons for serving and helping others, but together they’re feeding the community one meal at a time.

“I started volunteering after my husband passed away because I was looking to fill up my time and it helped me with my grieving process,” said Liz Carol, a volunteer. “I want to spend time doing worthwhile things that make me feel good because a part of healing is allowing the human mind to be filled with things other than sad times.”

When Freeport INN copresident, Marion Hart, retired from teaching, her desire to serve the community was unsatisfied until she started volunteering at the soup kitchen. “I believe in volunteering because seeing the guests enjoy lunch time and seeing the soup kitchen fulfill my purpose; it makes me smile inside,” says Hart.   

The Freeport INN’s chef, John Suglia, recalls a time he too needed the support and meals from the church and for the last ten years he’s been giving back. He says he wants to help people the same way that he was helped. After Suglia’s life changing experience at a Freeport INN soup kitchen, he longed to give back to people in the same way and has dedicated the last ten year helping as a chef at a Freeport INN soup kitchen.

“When I was in rehab for drinking and drug problems, I needed to get a meal at the Freeport INN,” said Suglia as his voice cracked with emotion. “To my surprise, the meal was hot and it really helped me to get my life back together because the volunteers cared about me. I continue to come here to serve because this is where I belong and it means the world to me to know that I’m touching lives.”