Baldwin Family Soup Kitchen

Michigan Nightlight: In your view, what makes your program innovative, effective or remarkable? 
Baldwin Center Executive Director Lisa Machesky: The Baldwin Family Soup Kitchen is a happy place. It is a place where people bring their smiles. All are welcome and no one is turned away. Sharing a meal is a fundamental human experience that is replicated each and every day. We provide a wholesome meal and are striving each day to add healthier items to our menu.
 
What was the best lesson learned in the past year?
The best and hardest lesson is one in the same.  This past year we said goodbye to Sylvia Wheeling. For over 30 years Sylvia ran the kitchen. She prepared meals, she shopped for supplies, she coordinated volunteers and managed staff. But

Sharing a meal is a fundamental human experience that is replicated each and every day. We provide a wholesome meal and are striving each day to add healthier items to our menu.

most importantly, Sylvia shared her life with those she served. She was there when people needed a kind ear, she was there when people needed tough love, she was present and gave her all. When she retired all wondered if her legacy could be carried on. The answer to that question was “yes”: she had built something that lives on.
 
What really differentiates this program?
Baldwin serves a meal seven days a week.  Breakfast Monday through Friday; Lunch Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; and dinner Tuesday and Thursday. The community knows they will be fed if they come to Baldwin. We are a reliable presence in the life of many. Baldwin is also a place where no questions are asked. If you come for a meal, you will be fed with a smile and without judgment.
 
What are the keys to success for your program?
First and foremost, we maintain the dignity of all. The soup kitchen is not a depressing place. It is a place where people are welcome regardless of their struggles. Another key to our success is our partnerships with the larger community. We couldn’t do what we do without the volunteer support that comes each and every day to prepare and serve meals. We also have a variety of community partners that donate surplus food, give us discounts, and grow food for us.
 
How do you respond to arguments like “giving out meals is only a bandage or quick fix for impoverished people” or “people need to learn to take care of themselves.”
In many ways feeding people is not just about helping someone with a meal; there is a deeper connection that is made when

Baldwin is also a place for people to go to be a part of a community. Poverty can be incredibly isolating.

someone is invited to share a meal. People come to receive, but people also come to give. The volunteers come for a variety of reasons, but one of the main reasons people come is to be a part of something bigger than themselves. People need to help relieve the suffering of their neighbors. We feed hungry people so that we can live in a society that takes care of those that suffer. 
 
Baldwin is also a place for people to go to be a part of a community. Poverty can be incredibly isolating. Without steady work, you are not interacting with the larger community. Without sufficient income many of the social opportunities many of us take for granted are not available. Sharing a meal is much more than food. That connection to a larger community is what is needed to move up the economic ladder.