Believe it or not, it’s been four years since those Community Meal signs began popping up around town. Chances are you’ve seen the signs while driving on Main Street, but like many others, you may not know what The Community Meal actually is or what purpose it serves in Barrington.
The Community Meal is a free meal provided once a month at local churches and community centers in and around the Barrington area and is open to all members of the community.
Community Meal founder, Mary Hasse-Sandner, says the primary goal is to build community in the Barrington area. “Today we have fast-food options and common meals around the table are becoming less central. We want The Community Meal to be a fond memory like Christmas or Thanksgiving. It’s a place where we listen, encourage each other and become friends.”
A traditional meal at this event includes salad, spaghetti and a wide variety of desserts.
This month, however, the Community Meal team is celebrating their four-year anniversary with a special dinner. The Community Church of Barrington is opening its doors on Thursday, May 23 from 5-7 pm, and inviting all members of the community to join them for a free, hot meal. As this month’s dinner, they will be serving up volunteer, Stu Overby’s famous pulled pork barbecue to all who attend.
Guests are encouraged to bring family, friends, neighbors and, of course, an appetite.
If you’re new to the community meal, there are a few things you should know about the event.
The Community Meal is an all-volunteer organization which means that 100% of the donations received are used to serve the community. All items prepared and served are donated by community members, local businesses and sponsors.
A group of volunteers is needed each month for pasta prep, kitchen prep, serving, greeting and mingling, and clean-up. Volunteers of all ages, from boy scouts to senior citizens, keep this event moving.
When guests arrive at the meal, they are greeted by volunteers. The meal starts at the salad station where guests will find a fresh salad, a variety of salad dressings, and fresh baked bread donated by Jimmy John’s in Barrington.
Then, it’s on to the main course. Guests bring their plates to the serving counter to get a full plate of Barilla pasta with warm spaghetti sauce.
Once the meal-goers have their plates filled, they find a table and sit with family, friends, and other members of the community to share a meal together. They get to know one another and even share a laugh or two.
Each meal also has a fine selection of desserts to enjoy with a cup of coffee after guests have finished their meals. Many of the desserts are homemade.
At the end of the meal, guests are encouraged to take food home to their families. They can take an extra meal home to eat the following day or bring a hot meal to a neighbor.
They can also grab some free bagels on their way out, provided by Einstein Bros. Bagels in Barrington, to enjoy the next morning.
At the end of the night, the goal of The Community Meal is to have guests leave with full stomachs, new friendships and a greater sense of community. Mary says there’s much more to the meal than satisfying hunger. “Around the table, we become family, friends and community.”
All are invited The Community Meal’s 4-Year Anniversary Dinner. It’s happening at The Community Church of Barrington, 407 South Grove Avenue.
For more information about The Community Meal, find them on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheCommunityMeal or visit their website at TheCommunityMeal.com.
For more photos of The Community Meal, check out this slideshow from when they celebrated their 3-year anniversary last year.
About the Author
Amy McKewen is a graduate of Illinois State University, where she got her Bachelor’s degree in journalism. She currently works in student finance for an online college.
Her hobbies include scrapbooking, reading, playing soccer and spending time with her noisy nieces and nephews.
She recently got engaged in Disney World and plans to be married in 2014.
