‘This is my family.’ Volunteers fuel St. Andrew’s Community Café in State College
Grace Pilato was glad to take a seat when I met with her in the social hall at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in downtown State College on the Thursday before Thanksgiving. She had been on her feet all day, preparing the weekly five-course dinner for the Community Café.
“Today was a challenge,” Pilato revealed, “because there was a boil water advisory from the borough due to the road construction on Fraser Street that involved the water main. That made our prep time tough. I brought in water from home to wash the vegetables and we made do, but were very happy when it was lifted about 1 p.m.”
By 4 p.m. the Community Café was nearly ready for service, with 10 long tables in the room with eight chairs at each. Joan DiMarcello was circulating through the room, checking on the beverages, overseeing the dessert table setup, and running guard against any distractions as the clock ticked toward the 5 p.m. start time.
Mike Weaver is a volunteer at the church who guards the door, making sure no one enters the room before the appointed hour. Weaver started attending the dinners after moving back to town and was very glad to learn about the program, which gave him a sense of belonging. The church sextant, Doug Luzier, recognized the young man’s enthusiasm and put him on the crew. Weaver is proud of the nearly 20,000 steps he takes each Thursday as he gets everything ready for the event.
“I feel like this is my family, and I am happy to be a part of it,” he said.
The Community Café has evolved successfully thanks to teamwork. The board of directors consists of five members plus Café Executive Director Ron Rovansek and St. Andrew’s Rector Jeffrey Packard. There is a team that gathers the goods during the week, a team that cooks on Thursdays, and a team that comes in the evening to serve and clean up. There are soupmakers as well, preparing the soup for the dinner. Everyone has a role and knows exactly what to do.
That Thursday, as the daytime kitchen crew filed out, the evening servers filed in. Peggy Reilly sat and rolled silverware into napkins, drawing on her food service experience from her career working at Findley dining hall on campus, recognizing the calm before the storm. Lisa Petrine, with her hair tucked into her ball cap, looked bright-eyed and ready for the dinner rush.
“It’s so fun! This is the best day of the week for me,” she commented before turning to the food line to make sure the serving utensils were ready.
Sandy Wigfield, also in a ball cap, gathered all the kitchen servers into a cluster and assigned duties. The dozen or so people comprising the back of the house crew each had a specific task — Bill Torretti filled buns with Sloppy Joe mixture, put the filled bun on the plate, and moved it to his right, where the next volunteer scooped on some baked beans. Roasted vegetables were next, then macaroni salad, each portioned out by a volunteer. Ruby red Borscht was served in bowls with crackers on the side, and a bright, fresh fruit salad with grapes, pineapple, and cantaloupe was another side option.
As the clock struck five, the people filed into the room and queued up at the service window. Each person was greeted and asked whether they would like to have the whole plate displayed or to customize it. Many chose no bun, and some chose no vegetables; their options were honored by the smiling volunteers.
The Thursday night St. Andrew’s Community Café was in full swing.
Ron Rovansek has been the executive director of the initiative since moving up from soup maker, where he started 15 years ago. Rovansek explained the program’s evolution.
“An interim rector had the idea for a soup kitchen as an outreach mission for the church in 2009. At first, we served homemade soup and bagels donated by Irving’s. Then, about five years later, we made it more of a meal. Now we offer soup in addition to a five-course meal and serve 170-200 people each Thursday.”
The move to a full meal offering coincided with Grace Pilato joining the team. The talented cookbook author, popular cooking class teacher, and gifted potter and sculptor elevated the soup kitchen concept to something closer to a dining-out experience open to everyone.
“I make up the menu a week in advance, using protein that is donated from Trader Joe’s, Wegman’s, and the food bank. Then we fill in the menu from there. We always have a protein, a carb, a fat — and lots of beautiful vegetables. People are free to go back for seconds, even thirds if they are hungry,” explained Pilato. “We try to provide a very well-balanced dinner, with lots of fresh vegetables. Cramer Farm is very generous, providing us with their wonderful produce, and Trader Joe’s provides lots of greens for a big salad. Wegman’s gives us breads and desserts, and Weis provides us with a gift certificate each week for various things like ketchup and mayo, which we do have to buy. “
Pilato is pleased to be a part of the mission. “This is my creative outlet now. I research the recipes and plan the menus. I’ve gotten to know many of the area pastors at the local churches, which is a bonus, though there doesn’t seem to be much communication among them. A lot is going on in the area,” said the spry grandmother and consummate multi-tasker.
Most of the volunteers and attendees are not members of the church; this is a very open and welcoming program. Some of the attendees need the sustenance, some attend for the camaraderie. Donations are welcome, but not at all expected, “so don’t worry that you might be taking someone’s dinner who needs it,” said Rovansek. “Families are welcome. We would love to see more kids.”
Christmas is on a Thursday this year and there will be dinner as usual at St. Andrew’s Community Café, from 5 to 7 p.m. If you find your spirit fading this year, stop by St. Andrew’s and feel the love that is generated by many helping hands caring for others. You will feel blessed.
St. Andrew’s Community Café
Free dinner every Thursday, 5-7 p.m.
208 W. Foster Ave., State College
All are welcome!
Donations accepted, but not expected
