by Sheila G. Kelley, development coordinator
When a family sits down together, it helps them handle the stresses of daily life, the hassles of day-to-day existence and gives them a sense of belonging.
“There’s something magical about sitting around the dinner table,” said Tami Lakey, Strategic Initiatives Director for So Shine. “We get to see a sweet community begin to form at The Table.”
The So Shine Foundation exists to increase the health and vitality of the neighborhoods they serve.
Every Wednesday from 5:30-7 p.m. The Table, a program within So Shine, is a free weekly community dinner at the Porch at 7th and Main streets in Newton. Participants enjoy a homecooked meal and fellowship with other attendees.
“Usually we serve approximately 250 people – with the largest group of over 300 just a month ago,” Tami said. “We have a lot of people from Newton, North Newton, Hesston and those living right outside of town.”
Although the meal program was initially proposed to get families around the dinner table, Tami has seen many senior citizens attending.
“It was unexpected that we have a lot of seniors in the community attend,” Tami added. “They are beginning to break off into little groups and building their own community with each other.”
The Table meal is directed by Carrie Holler who has a degree in nutritional science from Kansas State University (KSU). Carrie is the only paid employee so the Table depends heavily on volunteers.
“We partner with a bunch of organizations in the community to fill volunteer needs for the meal,” Tami explained. “Some church groups volunteer regularly. During the school year, the Newton High National Honor Society members use their time to fulfill their required volunteer hours. We’ve also had some Boy Scouts help out.”
Grants awarded by United Way help cover overhead costs, mostly the food expenses.
“Our budget is pretty tight, we don’t have a lot of extras, so we appreciate the funds we get from [United Way of Harvey and Marion Counties],” Tami said. “Every week, it takes about $500 for the food for our large group.”
Tami explained that they don’t do any formal publicity. She lists the menu each week on their website. However, the majority of people attending are there due to word of mouth.
“My favorite stories are from word-of-mouth recommendations,” Tami said with a smile. “That’s where we see the community coming together.
“Lots of people moving into Newton find out about The Table from neighbors. I think people who come are a picture of community,” Tami said. “Some people come for the free meal but we have people who come that could pay for the entire group meal. The need is so much larger than just the food need.”
They are always looking for ways to build value for the space which is in the middle of the community and easily accessible to the public. So Shine collaborated with Peace Connections to offer cooking classes for people in their poverty class and Wednesday meals.
Tami explained that their hope was to build some unity and community around The Table. She quickly found that when people sit around the table, they look for what they have in common with one another – not what separates them.
The United Way 