Practicing Faith: Waiting (Open) Tables

Sharing the stories of how MPLC folks practice their faith

By Kirsten Graves

I remember years ago when Holly Hess pitched the idea of Open Table. She told of a time that she was serving a meal at the Hospitality Center when the gravy on the plate mixed with the juice from fruit cocktail. She said it was gross and that no one deserved to be served a meal like that. She wanted to start a free, restaurant-style community meal where we would serve our guests a meal that we would be proud to serve our family or friends. Holly was adamant that we would show our guests kindness, respect, and love. As soon as I heard about her plan, I was sold. Our kids were in middle and high school at the time, and it seemed like a wonderful opportunity for our family to volunteer together and serve our community through MPLC.

It was slow going at first, but a wonderful team was created with Kara Reske preparing the food and many, many volunteers pitching in to make it happen. We learned a lot, made adjustments each month, and steadily, our attendance grew to between 130-150 people each month. The concept was simple: treat everyone like a special guest at our ‘restaurant’ and feed them a delicious, home-cooked meal. And it worked! Early on, we saw people come in honestly appearing downtrodden and not wanting to make eye contact. After their time in Fellowship Hall, they would leave walking taller with a smile on their face. It was obvious that treating people with kindness and love made a huge difference!

We had to take a break during Covid, but we’ve been up and running for a few years again, and we have a consistent, loyal following of guests who come back each month. Many of them have become friends, and it’s not unusual to be greeted with hugs when they arrive and again when they leave! It’s work, but the good kind that leaves you feeling like your cup is full when the night is over. As they say, many hands make light work, and we’d love to have you join us. Come see how good it feels to serve our community at Open Table!

Kirsten is one of dozens of volunteers who make Open Table happen each month. If you'd like to help this way, you can sign up on the monthly signup for any available spot, or talk to one of the volunteers to find out what you can do.