‘Cafeteria ladies’ keep those hot meals coming
Pat Thomas, Hattie Surles and Mary Hulen are affectionately known as the cafeteria ladies at Missouri Street Church of Christ.
“It’s a very busy world that we live in, and we sometimes seem to put God on the back burner. Most moms work these days, so we’re trying to help them be able to go home, get their kids ready, come to church, have a meal, enjoy fellowship and relax. They walk through the line and we fill their plates.
“We do this every Wednesday evening for our congregation. Anyone who comes can stay for a service and class. We also have a group of kids who walk over from the nearby apartments. That has come to be our purpose. They know we’re going to have something good for them to eat.
“We fix a healthy meal. No hot dogs, hamburgers and trash food. We try to have a balanced meal with meat, vegetables, salad and desert. We don’t charge the children. Everyone else can put a donation in the basket if they want.
“We also deliver food to shut-ins. If someone has just gotten out of the hospital or something, they let us know and someone will bring it to them.
“We love what we do. We have a good time with each other, and we’ve developed such a bond with the other girls who come in to help after they get off work. It’s like we’re all sisters. We have a lot of fun together. We even have a sign that says, ‘What happens in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen.’”
— Pat Thomas, Hattie Surles and Mary Hulen
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