Every weekday at 11:30, the doors open and lunch is served.
As longtime volunteer Donny Wolf describes it. “We have homeless people here in Altoona and if it’s the only meal that they get a day, then we are more than welcome to welcome them in here.”
For 25 years, volunteers with the St. Vincent De Paul Food for Families Soup Kitchen have been serving hot meals to all who come – no questions asked.
As Founder Sr. Paula DelGrosso explains, “We have been trying all these years, to instill a sense of self-worth and self-value to these people that have been less fortunate than most people.”
Sister Paula says it’s simple; it’s respect. “When they see how much our staff our volunteers and everybody involved care about them, it helps them to be a better person. It’s amazing what it will do to people when they know that somebody cares about them.”
Those who come say it is much more than just a hot meal. For Jim, who’s been unemployed for 3 years now, “It is a community; a community develops when you share something and we share a meal here, in a way a whole fellowship of people.”
For the hundreds of volunteers, it’s a way to give back and receive.
“It’s a blessing to be able to serve these people,” says Donny Wolf.
New volunteer Colleen Barazotto adds, “They’re very friendly and very grateful and thankful for what we provide.”
The soup kitchen relies 100% on private donations for the tens of 1000’s of meals they serve every year.
“We feed them well because of the tremendous support we get in the community,” adds Sr. Paula.
And while she won’t admit it, that overwhelming support is a testimony to the Soup Kitchen’s founder Sr. Paula.
Alan’s been coming here since he was 16 and says, “Sr. Paula’s been so nice to everybody. She’ll do anything for anybody. She’s actually helped me a lot with some other issues, praying for me, like that.”
Barazotto adds, “Sr. Paula is awesome. Sometimes she yells at everyone but they come up and hug her after they’re done eating – they just adore Sr. Paula.”
Going forward, Sr. Paula says God willing, she and her army of volunteers and donors will be here. “They’ll always be a need. They’ll always be some less fortunate people that need uplifted and if we can help, they we’re doing what’s expected of us.”
The Annual Italian Wedding Soup and Bread Sale to benefit the Soup Kitchen will be held Saturday, November 19th, from 9am to noon at the Soup Kitchen at 2201 Union Avenue, Altoona. Tickets will be available at the door along with a variety of homemade baked goods for sale.
