On today’s menu, sweet and sour chicken with fried rice. For dessert, banana pudding. “This is a new one for us,” says Pat Freisthler, who has volunteered to cook at Holy Angels Soup Kitchen in Sidney since he first brought CCD students to volunteer a decade ago.

Each day is a surprise, both for the guests served and volunteers helping. Challenged each week to take the simple ingredients provided by the community and make a balanced, restaurant-quality meal, Freisthler never disappoints, say those who work with him there.

The soup kitchen began with Pat Luthman, who started the ministry near Holy Angels Church 25 years ago, then saw it expand and grow. Today, it is on the edge of town next to the Mercy Mission House, which shelters around 30 residents and collaborates with the Alpha Community Center to serve those in need.

Judy Smith now oversees the soup kitchen’s operations and shares Luthman’s drive to feed the hungry in her community. The kitchen serves lunch daily for 60 to 70 guests, and added both breakfast and dinner—growing Luthman’s mission to feed Shelby County’s hungry in a way she could only have dreamed.

Smith is amazed at all the soup kitchen accomplishes each day. “The food just keeps coming by the grace of God,” she said.

Some food comes from local grocery stores that hold food nearing the “sell by” date for immediate use in the kitchen. There is a local event venue that holds leftovers from events for Smith to pick up and use in the soup kitchen. And the area farmers are very generous, often providing fresh eggs for breakfast and donating whole hogs and cows for fresh meat.

Holy Angels Church parishioners are kept abreast of needs through the church bulletins, and nearby parishes host casserole drives. The right people seem to come forward at the right time, reminding Smith and her volunteers that God is present in this ministry. Many who help in the kitchen were like Freisthler—they got involved through young people under their charge and now spend spare time volunteering regularly.

Jerry Pudlewski, who first volunteered seven years ago, now sits on the soup kitchen’s board. He finds his efforts fulfilling because of the people he meets. “There is [a lot] of interaction with people,” Pudlewski shared. “And they all have a story to tell.” That human connection makes him feel like he’s making a difference in the community.

Volunteer Jeanne Schlagetter agrees. For her, it is the wonderful people she has worked with and served over the years that make this ministry so rewarding. While teaching at Holy Angels School, she began volunteering at the former downtown location with her class. “The crews are like family,” said Schlagetter.

Guests witness their love for the ministry in their smiles and greetings for all who come through the door. And the family atmosphere in the kitchen rubs off on those who come for meals. Guests sometimes just need fellowship and community instead of food, and some guests for lunch are inspired by the volunteers’ generosity and want to help as well. Connie has come to the soup kitchen for about 10 years and is usually seen wrapping the plasticware before the meal. “I’ll do what they need,” she said. “It’s a way to show my appreciation of them.”

Ultimately, the work at Holy Angels Soup Kitchen is a labor of love from the whole community. “All comes from hearts that want to help,” says Pudlewski. From the farmers, to the parishes holding casserole drives, to the volunteer crews each day — it is an outpouring of love from the community to those in need. “We do this all out of love for our fellow man,” she added.

This article appeared in the December 2023 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.