From New Jersey-
After 25 years of serving free meals, the Manna House community soup kitchen was tired.
It's pizza oven doors wouldn't close. One lacked spring in the hinges, making for what could be an interesting, or even slightly dangerous, cooking experience. The floor was soft underfoot. The island counter needed repair.
At the start of this month, renovation work began on the kitchen. But that's not really the story.
The story is about people pitching in so Manna House would be able to serve its 25th Thanksgiving Day meal to about 60 expected guests; and about people stepping up so more than 80 homebound Meals on Wheels clients will be delivered a holiday meal and a smile from a visitor on Thursday, a tradition that almost didn't happen this year.
"Since the day we have opened our doors, this community has always been anxious to help," said Linda Zwart, president of the Manna House Board of Directors. "It is always spontaneous. It just comes to us," she said.
The First Presbyterian Church of Newton has been home to Manna House since it first opened on Nov. 15, 1987. A sign was put outside the church to announce the opening, and the kitchen served one man that day.
With the help of nearby Christ Episcopal Church, Manna House has not missed serving one lunch. Preparations and meal service have been moved to the Episcopal church parish hall on Main Street, which is where the free holiday meal will be served Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Manna House volunteers fill a shopping cart with supplies and food from the refrigerators and cupboards at the Presbyterian Church on High Street to walk daily to the Episcopal church a block away to prepare the free lunch.
More here-
http://www.njherald.com/story/news/23-soup-11-2011-web
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