Durham Rescue Mission—Saturday Suppers

It is hard to believe that within a 20 minute drive from our church campus there are people who are struggling to find a meal, but the reality is, there are many people in our own city who fight hunger on a regular basis.

We have been given the opportunity to be a part of the solution through our partnership with Durham Rescue Mission. During the months of March, April, and May we hope to be a practical part of alleviating hunger in our area by providing meals at the Good Samaritan Inn on Saturday Nights. We would like to invite your small group to be a part of it.

The Details:
Time: 4-7pm.
Actual Meal Time:5pm
Address:Good Samaritan Inn
507 E Knox Street
Durham, NC 27703Contact:
Rodney McClain 688-9641 Ext 5025
Number of people: You should prepare enough food to feed about 35 people.

Next Steps:
1. Talk to your group and select a date that many of you can help.
2. Contact Pam McKerring at pmckerring@crosspointe.org to make sure that date is available. You may want to assign a member of the group to coordinate the meal and take the lead on communication for this project.
3. Start planning your meal. Coordinate within your group to provide the meal, drinks and dessert.
4. The Monday before your night to serve contact Rodney at the number above to verify the number of people who will be eating. Add your group members to the total so you know how many to cook for.
5. Arrive by 4pm the night you are serving and help get everything ready to go for dinner at 5pm.

Durham Rescue Mission Suggests you provide a main course 2 sides and a bread. They also eagerly welcome dessert and drinks. Here are some meal suggestions:

Main Course:
Spaghetti
Sloppy Joes
Casseroles
Chili
Soups/Stew
Lasagna
Taco Bar
Enchiladas
Meatloaf

Sides:
Green beans
Baked beans
Potato Salad
Salad
Cucumber Salad
French Fries
Bakes Potatoes
Rice
Corn
Cole Slaw
Pasta Salad
Fresh Fruit
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Rice

Desserts:
Cake
Brownies
Cookies
Fruit Salad
Ice Cream

Groups have done this meal sharing differently, and it has always worked out. One group did chicken casserole and every family made a pan. This resulted in a variety of different casseroles and the ladies loved the variety. Another group designated portions of their meal to group members. Some did dessert, some did the meat, some did the sides. Group members who couldn’t be at the mission that night took their portion to a group member who could the night before. This also worked out well.

Things to note:
1. Cameras are welcome, but please respect the ladies and their kids. Ask their permission and if they prefer you don’t take a picture please don’t.
2. Paper products are not necessary, they have a fully stocked industrial kitchen, but if you group doesn’t want to wash dishes you can opt for paper instead.
3. Some women will be hesitant to initiate conversation with the men, but will eagerly talk if the men take the first steps.

Please contact Pam McKerring if you have questions or need further guidance. Conversation starters, meal planning help and suggestions for overcoming hurdles can be found on the Group Leader Resource Site.