Marian House: Hot Meals and More for Colorado Springs’ Poor and Homeless
And while the staff at Catholic Charities-run Marian House provide other services to their guests, it’s the 365-day a year meal preparation – officials estimate that Marian House will have served 200,000 meals in 2007 – that consumes most of their energies.
Calling Marian House “cramped” is akin to calling your local convenience store “over-priced.” The building, built in 1880 and added to in the 1950’s, seats only 75 closely-packed diners at once, necessitating a 30-minute dining limit. Throw 25-30 volunteers into the mix – working in the building’s bedroom-sized kitchen, dish room, and storage areas, and the facility quickly becomes packed to the proverbial, if sweaty, rafters – after all, the building was originally a nunnery.
It was not designed to herd 450 hungry people a day through its walls. Volunteers are often turned away, simply because some days there are just too many, according to Marian House director Tom Corsentino.
Those less-than-desirable conditions will change soon enough – construction has started on a new building that will seat 150-175 people, will feature a state-of-the-art kitchen, and provide ample room for dishwashing and storage. Corsentino estimates that the new building should be finished sometime in June, 2008, after which the current building will either be renovated or torn down and rebuilt, where it will serve as administrative space. Corsentino is rooting for the latter, as “renovating will be a nightmare.”
In the meantime, a cheerful staff makes the best of the current conditions as they perform their daily service. The Marian House might be the only location in town where a homeless person is referred to as “sir,” or “ma’am,” let alone addressed on a first name basis. The volunteers are often regulars, working as part of a church group, while others are performing community service. Sometimes, even teenagers will put in a day’s work.
This diverse staff has one thing in common: they seem to enjoy what they are doing. “It’s a good feeling when someone tells me they’ve found an apartment when they’ve been living in their car or at a shelter, says volunteer Mary Porter. Mack, a homeless man who eats at Marian House, appreciates the personal touch. “Everyone is helpful. They speak to me beyond belief when most people will ignore me.”
And while Marian House is often recognized merely as a provider for the homeless, it’s the working poor that make up the largest percentage of visitors – it’s estimated that 42% of the visitors are in families, with 25% arriving with children. With 12% of families in Colorado Springs living at or below the poverty line, the facility is simply a means of survival that many of them couldn’t do without.
Michelle Swanson of First Presbyterian Church even estimates that two-thirds of Marian House clients are working poor. The building offers a separate, quiet dining room for families, and people with children are moved quickly to the front of the line. Even with a 30-minute time limit, Porter points out that the soup kitchen at least provides “a place for a child to feel safe for 30 minutes.”
Clientele can also take advantage of other services provided by Marian House. Donations of clothing are dispersed regularly to needy visitors, and families can obtain baby supplies and children’s clothes from the facility. Often, aid with transportation is also available through the Catholic Charities Agency Connections bus, as well as from donated vehicles.
It’s also not uncommon for a job-seeking homeless person to receive assistance in attaining a birth certificate copy from their birth state, the first step in acquiring the identification necessary in landing employment.
As helpful as those donations are, Corsentino says that money is the most pressing need. “95% of our food is donated from Safeway, King Soopers, and Whole Foods,” he says. “But we still have to pay utilities, buy gas for the trucks, and pay insurance.”
In the meantime, tomorrow will bring another hungry queue, as both homeless and working poor take up their customary spots at the side of the building. “I feel no shame eating here,” says Bob, a disabled client. “My Social Security only goes so far.”
And while there are other places in town that feed the needy, they do so with a caveat – their goal seemingly to introduce visitors to their particular religions prior to eating. “We don’t believe in that,” says Corsentino. “If you’re hungry, we’ll feed you, unless you’re drunk.” Because at Marian House, unless you’re under the influence or violent, no one is turned away. And that is something that some 450 people can give daily thanks for.
