Horizons Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry: Serving Christ by Helping Those in Need

Feeding the hungry is something that we are called to do. In the Gospels, Jesus not only tells us that we should feed the hungry, but He shows us this through His actions. As we read in Matthew 14:16-19, “Jesus said to them, ‘There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.’ But they said to him, ‘Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.’ Then he said, ‘Bring them here to me,’ and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.”

It is our duty to feed the hungry and to take care of our neighbors, and that is why the work of the Horizons Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry is so important. Horizons’ mission is to feed the poor and hungry in the community, not just physically. They also strive to feed the hungry by nourishing their minds and souls — this is done by evangelizing and sharing the Good News of the Gospel with those who walk through their doors. Kris Rueter, the parish contact for the food pantry, knows this well from the time he spent volunteering at the soup kitchen.

“It was much smaller when it first started,” Kris says. “It was fun to interact with the people and the other churches in town. The primary focus was to preach the Gospel to the people that were coming in. My first time volunteering, I was told to go sit down and talk to people. It was the first time I encountered a real opportunity to evangelize like that.”

Horizons partners with many different local churches to help serve those in need. Each church takes certain days a month and they provide the volunteers that are needed to serve lunch. St. Peter currently has the first, third, and fifth Mondays of the month. Maureen Schuering, a volunteer at the soup kitchen from St. Peter, says she simply takes one Monday a month to offer some of her time.

“We all know how important a soup kitchen is to a community,” Maureen says. “In this ministry, it is easy to be the hands and feet of Christ. Preparing and serving the food is a small part of this undertaking. If you have a couple hours to spare, you can be with fellow parishioners who are not professional cooks or servers and make a difference in someone’s day. How better to praise God than with your simple act of kindness.”

If you are interested in joining fellow parishioners to serve at Horizons Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry please contact Kris Rueter at krueter@designmechanical.com for more information.