Feeding the Hungry at Cafe on Vine

1 John 3:18-19 “Little children, let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions. Then we will know for sure, by our actions, that we are on God's side, and our consciences will be clear, even when we stand before the Lord.”

In Matthew 25:40, Jesus said "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Robyn and Andy Garcia have found a tangible way to serve Christ by helping take care of some of His most vulnerable children. As chairs the Café on the Vine committee here at St. Paul’s, their mission is “to provide a well-balanced, hot meal with a loving and humble heart to those in need.” 

They’re responsible for providing the meal and manpower to open the Cafe on Vine on the 4th Sunday of every month. In order to serve the 70-100 people that tend to show up on Sundays, the Garcias recruit between 8-10 people to help prepare, serve and clean up after the meal.

Cafe on the Vine is the only meal site in the Quad Cities to provide a free lunchtime (dinner on Sunday) meal to the needy of the community 365 days each year. Since it was established in November 2007, it has served over 425,000 meals. They do so with no questions asked, keeping the focus on the dignity and privacy of those seeking a meal.

In giving to those in need, the Garcia family feels they receive even more blessings. Robyn says “We are grateful to be able to serve the poor in this way. There is nothing more humbling than looking a person in the eyes and seeing, as well as hearing, their gratitude for the meal you have helped provide. I am often told that this is their only hot meal of the day. Some have even expressed that they wouldn't have eaten that day without the meal we served. Because we serve a meal at the end of the month, we often feed families. I love knowing that those children will not be hungry that night. “

Are you inspired to help serve a meal at Café on the Vine sometime? It’s a great opportunity for a small group or family to encounter Christ by helping others. Children 10 and up are welcome to participate. To help the St. Paul’s crew on the 4th Sunday of the month sometime, please contact Robynn Garcia" at drrobynngarcia@yahoo.com or her husband Andy at andysgarcia@yahoo.com. Or check out www.cafeonvine.org for more ways to directly support Café on the Vine on a schedule that works for you.