10/11/2026
As we continue celebrating Bethany Center’s 25th year, we’re looking back at a couple of firsts!
These journal entries record the very first meal served by St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen at St. Paul’s Church on November 23, 1998, and the first meal served after the soup kitchen moved to Bethany Center on February 26, 2001. Below are the menus for those days.
November 23, 1998 — St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen at St. Paul’s Church
• Meatloaf
• Mashed potatoes
• Green beans
• Bread and butter
• Coffee and Kool-Aid
Served 33 people.
February 26, 2001 — First meal at Bethany Center, provided by St. Remy’s
• Vegetable soup
• Summer sausage and cheese
• Angel food cake
Served 43 people: 30 here and 13 carryout.
An interesting note about that first meal: Wilma made the meatloaf at home. She woke up in the middle of the night and realized she had forgotten an ingredient! She got up, remixed it, and brought it to the soup kitchen the next day.
From homemade meatloaf to the meals we serve today, so many caring hands have been part of this story. We’re grateful for everyone who has helped feed our neighbors along the way.
