Harford soup kitchens always ready with hotmeals for those in need

For five church-operated soup kitchens in the county, the reason a person can?t buy food for himself is immaterial. A belief that every person deserves dignity drives them to feed dozens.

“When you hear the words soup kitchen or food pantry, you think of people sleeping on the streets or children who are starving. I don?t think that is the case in Harford County,” said Dennis Longo, the director of the Care Night Food Ministry run through Calvary Baptist Church in Bel Air.

Serving food that is donated from several area businesses and organizations since 1993, Care Night reaches out to about 180 people every Monday night, from 6 to 7:30, Longo said ? either by way of serving a hot meal to people who come to the church or by delivering to those who cannot come through its doors.

Longo said Care Night is not just about feeding people, but it is also about treating people with dignity. “This gives people the opportunity to go out to dinner,” he said.

“We do have a few homeless people who actually live in tents, but we also see a lot of seniors,” said Lee Lederer, the director of Bel Air United Methodist Church?s Manna House, which serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to an average 70 people every Wednesday.

“We really do have a need in Harford County, but many people don?t see it,” Lederer said.

“If these soup kitchens and food pantries were not in existence, many of these people would be on welfare,” said Pat Harkins, the executive director of the Harford County Community Action Agency, which provides food to thousands of low income county residents annually.

In addition to Care Night and Manna House, lunches are served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays at Grace Place at St. John?s Episcopal Church in Havre de Grace, Thursdays through Martha?s Meals at Grove Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen and Saturdays through the Sharing Table at the Prince of Peace Church in Edgewood.

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