08/28/2026
💚 Behind Every Meal Is a Person 💚
Most of the time, I'm behind the scenes at Our Father’s Table—posting our menus, serving meals (aka getting my steps in!), taking way too many pictures of our food, desserts, volunteers (thank you for humoring me 😄), donations, or working on our website so more people can learn about Our Father's Table and walk through our doors and join us for dinner and visit Our Free Corner.
I was actually going to make this a fun “guess how many meals we’ve served” post…but when I looked at these numbers, I couldn’t stop thinking about the people behind them. So I decided to share this instead. (I promise we’ll have a fun guessing game for September!) ❤️
Since opening in July 2023 through August 26, 2026, Our Father’s Table has served 26,561 meals. Already this year, we’ve served 7,546 meals.
The number brings tears to my eyes of gratitude and immense joy. This little brown building has welcomed a whole lot of people through its door.
But when I see 26,561, I don’t see a number. I see our guests.
I see people walking into our bright, sunlight-filled dining room and being greeted with a warm smile. I see long tables where neighbors become friends and families sit together. I see people coming in after a long day, people working hard to stretch their dollars a little further, people caring for loved ones, people who may be going through a difficult time and come in and can relax and enjoy a home-cooked meal, and people who simply enjoy dinner and conversation with others.
There’s a wonderful feeling inside Our Father’s Table that’s hard to explain until you experience it. It feels a little like a warm hug and a welcoming space like no other I have ever experienced. It's like being home surrounded by friends and family.
That’s why there are intentionally no buffet lines. You walk in, choose your seat and relax. We bring your drink, dinner and dessert to your table on a real plate with real wrapped silverware—and sometimes you're served almost as quickly as you sit down. How’s that for service? ❤️
We do it this way because you’re our guest.
Every guest we serve is someone’s parent, grandparent, child, friend or neighbor. You are the reason our doors open every weeknight, and having the opportunity to serve you truly is a privilege and a joy.
And behind every meal is another group of people we're incredibly grateful for—our volunteers. The people cooking, serving, washing dishes, wrapping silverware, filling drinks, cleaning tables, welcoming guests and doing the hundred little things no one sees that make every evening possible. There really aren’t enough words to thank you.
These numbers represent so much more than meals. They represent conversations, friendships, second helpings, laughter, kindness, full tables and thousands of moments of people caring for one another.
This isn’t just Our Father’s Table’s story. It belongs to all of you.
And we would love to reach more people. Please help us share Our Father’s Table. Tell a friend. Invite someone to dinner. Share our page or our website www.OFTSoupKitchen.org Tell someone who may not know about us, “Come have dinner with me at Our Father's Table.”
There are no income requirements, no age requirements, no ID or documents needed - and you're welcome at our table. You don't have to be from Eldon, we welcome every one of our neighbors in mid-Missouri. If you walk through our doors, we're going to feed you and have a plate ready for you! Before you even walk through the door, we've already let our kitchen team how many plates to make. :) If we can make someone’s day a little easier, stretch a family’s dollars a little farther, offer some friendly conversation or simply serve someone a delicious home-cooked meal—that’s what matters.
We don’t want to be Eldon’s best-kept secret. We want people to know there’s a seat waiting for them here.
And maybe your invitation will be exactly what someone needs. 💚
To our guests, volunteers, donors and community—from the bottom of my heart on behalf of all of us at Our Father's Table, Thank You for being part of Our Father’s Table - Now come have dinner with us tonight and every week night! - Chelle Daniels, PR & Communications Manager and Expert Level Diner Dasher (Our Father's Table - Meal Server edition)
