Vicki Boone is a volunteer at First United Methodist Church of DeKalb. She said the “R.E.A.L meal sharing food and friendship” program is bigger than a handout.
“It stands for — I think what we hope all churches would be at their best — relevant, engaging, authentic and loving,” she explained.
Boone emphasized that this is at the heart of what the establishment does.
The monthly meals started in 2014. The community originally took part in the family style dinners in person. That ended with the pandemic, but last fall, the meals became available via drive-thru. The program stopped again in October due to the uptick in COVID-19 numbers.
First United Methodist Church originally began feeding the community in 2012 during its summer lunch program.
“And after doing that, for two seasons,” Boone said, “we really stepped back and said, you know, ‘So what happens to all these kids and families that we serve all summer, during the rest of the year?’”
She said that a former associate, Pastor Kim Chapman, came up with the idea for the monthly dinners.
Boone also added that they are able to fulfill this mission with the help of organizations like the Northern Illinois Food Bank, Schnuck’s grocery store, and a number of volunteers.
These monthly drive-thru dinners start again on March 28 from 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., or until the food is gone. Easter ham is on the menu that day. On April 25, pork carnitas will be served. Pick-ups take place in the alley behind the church.
- Yvonne Boose is a current corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project. It’s a national service program that places talented journalists in local newsrooms like WNIJ. You can learn more about Report for America at wnij.org.
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