A faith-based meal program that began with modest gatherings in the fall of 2019 will offer a midday feast for a large group on Easter Sunday.
The traditional ham dinner will be served in to-go boxes at 2 p.m. Easter, April 4, at Aaron McNeil House, Second and Campbell streets.
Donna Williams, who leads the Breaking Bread Dinner Church, said she’s expecting to provide meals for 300 people. That’s how many people came for their Thanksgiving dinner.
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The coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for Breaking Bread to offer the kind of church experience that was originally part of the weekly Thursday meal. At that time, everyone ate together in the Aaron McNeil community room, and Williams, who is a Methodist minister, took a few minutes to lead a devotional. Sometimes they sang a few hymns. If there was food leftover when everyone had eaten, they boxed up the extras and sent people home with more food.
While those in-person experiences have been rare with COVID-19 safety measures, the needs of many people have become more evident during the pandemic.
“The numbers keep going up,” Williams said.
The regular Thursday dinner, served at 5 p.m., usually draws 100 to 120 people. Many of those served live in neighborhoods near Aaron McNeil House.
“We are doing what we are called to do — feeding the body and soul, and we will continue doing that as long as we can,” Williams said.
The Easter meal will include ham and scalloped potatoes, another vegetable, bread, dessert and bottled water. If the supplies are available, fruit and Easter candy will also be given.
Breaking Bread relies on donations and volunteer help. Several local churches have made desserts and sent members to help serve the meals.
Contributions can be sent to Saint John United Methodist Church, 2802 S. Virginia St., Hopkinsville, KY 42240. Donors should note “Dinner Church” in the check memo line. Anyone who wants to serve and provide food should contact Williams through email at dwilliams945@gmail.com.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
