A volunteer serves guests coffee at Catholic Charities’ new community meal program at Lord of Mercy Catholic Church in Harvey, Illinois.

The guests began arriving at the parish hall around 6 p.m. After sharing a prayer of gratitude, volunteer servers began distributing the evening’s meal: pizza and Caesar salad from a local restaurant.

The gathering marked the fourth month of the Shared Table, Catholic Charities’ weekly community meal at Lord of Mercy Catholic Church in Harvey, Illinois, and the evening was running smoothly.

Part of a strategy to deepen connections

Just 20 miles south of Chicago, suburban Harvey was once a booming blue-collar town. Starting in the late 1970s, however, businesses and manufacturing plants started to close, jobs dried up, and families who could leave, left.

Today, Harvey and its neighboring communities have some of the highest rates of poverty and food insecurity in the region, including the city of Chicago. According to the U.S. Census, close to 40 percent of residents live below the poverty line or at the fragile line just above it.

Like other struggling municipalities in south suburban Cook County, Harvey is facing a shrinking tax base and mounting debts. This impacts the resources it can offer residents.

While Catholic Charities has been working in the area for decade, it has identified a service gap it can fill. “There are not as many resources in the south suburbs for families experiencing hardship as there are in some parts of Chicago that have seen a rise in local, if not municipal, investment,” says Keara Ette, Director of Faith and Mission Initiatives at Catholic Charities. “Launching the Shared Table is one way we hope to serve more people in need, especially those facing food insecurity.

A two-way partnership

The number of guests at the Lord of Mercy meal has grown steadily since November. Lupita (Maria) Macias, Catholic Charities’ Meal Coordinator and Lord of Mercy parishioner, helps promote the meal and cultivates relationships with guests, checking on them if they don’t attend and sharing information about other Catholic Charities programs.

For Lord of Mercy, hosting the Shared Table has been an opportunity to bring the parish community together. Formed in 2021 through the consolidation of three parishes, Lord of Mercy is finding its way as a congregation.

“People need the presence of the church more than ever. We view the Shared Table as part of this mission,” says Kevin Larson, Director of Parish Operations at Lord of Mercy. “Whether as volunteers or guests, it has expanded the soft entry points that invite people into the parish.”

Larson also notes that without Catholic Charities, getting a community meal program up and running would have taken considerably more time and effort. “Having people bring structure and organization right from the get-go made a huge difference.”

A first step, but more to come

Catholic Charities plans to continue to expand its presence in the area. This spring, it will be a launching the Curbside Pantry, a mobile pantry, to serve the south suburbs.

This initiative will provide more people, particularly those with limited transportation options, with access to food and other resources. Catholic Charities is collaborating with the Greater Chicago Food Depository to identify area locations where demand for food is greatest.

Like the Shared Table community meal, the Curbside Pantry will serve as an entry point to the other services Catholic Charities provides. A case navigator will be on board to connect people to the Charities Resource Hub and other trusted partners. As Ette says, “If someone trusts us enough to share a hardship, that gives us an opportunity to ask, ‘Would you allow us to help you with that?'”

About The Shared Table

The Shared Table is Catholic Charities’ community meal ministry and one of its signature volunteer opportunities. Meals are open to anyone facing food insecurity. Everyone who attends is a welcome guest deserving of a warm and dignified dining experience. Volunteers are integral to the program, setting up, greeting guests, preparing and serving meals, and making sure everyone’s cup of coffee is filled.

Catholic Charities hosts Shared Table community meals at five locations across the region. To learn more, visit ccofchicagovolunteer.com