"For I was hungry and gave me something to eat"

St. Matthew's Comedor Popular Soup Kitchen in Chicago is the only faith-based community outreach program in the Northern Illinois District. We continue with a ministry to a collateral congregation of homeless, unemployed, seniors and children who meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays to be served hot meals at St. Matthew's soup kitchen--El Comedor Popular. They have become an extension of our Christian witness. Their souls are fed with God's word and their bodies with hot meals cooked by Maria L. Leal and her volunteers that include a Polish immigrant named Alina Skurska.

Because some of the soup kitchen patrons suffer of alcoholism, Pastor Julio A. Loza begins the meals by leading them to pray. The Serenity Prayer.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference."

The prayer, spoken in both English and Spanish, is also used at the meetings of the organization Alcoholics Anonymous to provide them with the inspiration and strength to overcome the pangs of alcohol addiction through the power of a loving God.

Throughout its eleven year history, St. Matthew's soup kitchen has served 158,400 hot meals to the hungry. It continues to serve an average of 1,200 hot meals per month.

Because El Comedor Popular is a self-supporting, faith-based program, it is funded with weekly rummage sales, food catering and private donations.

Maria L. Leal is the only staff person who, as the Director of Community services, provides a form of care similar to that of a Deaconess. That is, she attends to the needs of both body and soul for the individuals who come to see her. Maria conducts counseling sessions with Mexican mothers who have problems. She herself has had four boys, now all grown up, and will render a cup of water to the thirsty and a hot meal to the hungry, Maria earns a small salary and has no health insurance.

One winter, she fell to the ground and broke her left arm; she was treated at Cook County Hospital. Today, Maria and her volunteers continue to feed thousands of hungry people, conveying a genuine love and dedication with God's "courage to change the things I can".

Those willing to help feed the hungry send your donations to:

St. Matthew Lutheran Church
Soup Kitchen
2108 W. 21st St.
Chicago, IL 60608
Phone: 773-847-6458