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ALBANY
Soup kitchen dinner comes with a hitch Hot meal requires prayer service attendance
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter

    Jesus comes before dinner in the South End.
    The only soup kitchen that offers a hot dinner in the South End of Albany requires the needy to fi rst attend a 30-minute prayer service, even though the food is provided by the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.
    The rule has irked some homeless people for years — the food bank says complaints began more than 10 years ago — but one man finally had enough when he showed up one minute late for chapel Wednesday and was turned away.
    On Thursday, he returned with a sign and protested outside the Capital City Rescue Mission all evening.
    “My brother’s Muslim. I’m Catholic. I don’t want to hear a Protestant service every day,” Chuck Burt said. “Last year we had to pray for the success of George Bush. They said Catholics burning candles is a sign of demon worship, and all this ridiculous, worthless, evangelical junk.”
    Mission Executive Director Perry Jones said those who don’t want to hear his religious message should go to soup kitchens in other parts of the city.
    “We are here to promote the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaim him as the answer. Is there no tolerance in liberty for this?” he said. “You’re welcome here, but you say you’re not comfortable. Find someplace where you’re comfortable.”
    The mission’s rule is clear. On its front door, workers have posted a sign saying that chapel attendance is required for dinner. The hungry must arrive by 6:08 p.m. Those who come late get two sandwiches and a piece of fruit, which they must eat outside.
    If the mission did not give out bagged meals, its dinner requirement would violate the regional food bank’s rules, Director Mark Quandt said.
    “As a matter of policy, you can’t use food as a means to try to promote a certain religion on people,” he said.
    But since they are providing food of some type to everyone, their hot dinner requirement is acceptable.
    “We don’t tell them what kind of meal they have to provide,” he said.
    Burt thinks those who donate to the food bank would be surprised to learn that food bank members can decide to give the best food to those who share their religious beliefs.
    “If that was a Muslim mosque, the food bank would give them no food,” he said. “It seems this is a violation of the terms Price Chopper and Hannaford donate by. It’s not meant to be religious proselytizing.”
    Mona Golub, spokeswoman for Price Chopper, said the company’s regular gifts of food and money to Capital City Rescue Mission are simply intended to feed the hungry.
    She added that she hadn’t expected a religious requirement to be linked to the food.
    “I’m surprised. I was not aware. But I don’t know if that would change our gift, as long as the hungry are being fed.”
    But even some who share the mission’s religious beliefs say the service is uncomfortable.
    Shamar Eugene, who came Thursday just to attend the service, said others cut the anthems short by clapping early, before the singers had a chance to begin the second verse. He said they also fidgeted and whispered during the service.
    “They really don’t want to be there.”
DIFFERENT APPROACH
    The City Mission in Schenectady, which is also a religious organization, does not require diners to worship.
    “I want people to see it as a gift,” said City Mission Executive Director Michael Saccocio, adding that a voluntary service leads to a more receptive audience.
    But he said the Albany mission’s rule isn’t wrong.
    “It’s not forcing it on people. People don’t have to participate; they can just sit there,” he said. “I have heard stories where people didn’t want to go and they heard something and it was life-changing. So I’m not saying it’s wrong. It’s just not our strategic approach.”
    Men who were turned away at the Capital City Rescue Mission’s door Thursday said they’d prefer Schenectady’s approach. They said the Albany mission’s rule seemed un-Christian.
    James Rock was turned away by a man who identified himself as “a good Christian.”
    “You open a locked door all the time to tell people they can’t come in. That’s a good Christian?” Rock said afterward. “When there’s someone that’s homeless, and it’s cold out, the least you can do is give the man a warm meal.”
    Another man, who declined to give his name, was also dismayed when he was turned away with a bagged meal.
    “Jesus didn’t do this,” he said.
    Jones said there’s no insult intended. The doors are locked at 6:08 p.m. solely for logistical reasons, he said.
    “If you have people coming in at all times during chapel, it’s distracting,” he said.
    Burt and several others said they have asked to simply eat their bagged meals inside the heated lobby. They were refused.
    “It can be 10 below and they won’t let you in the building,” Burt said. “You didn’t go to chapel, you’re not fit to come inside.”
    Jones said they must stay outside during the chapel session because the workers stationed in the lobby would not be enough to keep order. There were three working in the lobby on Thursday.
    He also said he would not allow the needy to eat a hot dinner without first attending chapel because he wants to have a chance to preach to them.
    “Chapel is our star program in many ways because it’s our opportunity to connect with people spiritually,” he said. “This is the cause Christ has called us to. We are a Gospel rescue mission and really, I think we’re doing a good job.”

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Response to Gazette Article A Section.

Albany "Soup kitchen dinner comes with a hitch";   The people running Capital City Rescue Mission expects those looking for a free meal to sit for prayer services before they eat.  The folks complaining about the 'food for prayer' are a growing majority in America.  In America there is a growing number of people who contribute nil to society yet make demands.  Some of the 'poor' are where they are due to no fault of their own, they are minority members of the 'nada club'.  

The Capital Rescue Mission for those of you who just landed on Planet Earth, was a 'brothel' at one time.  Young ladies would do dances that defy belief & other women would satisfy the lust brigade.  It is ironic a former brothel that tended to man's needs continues the process.  Instant karma!  There is a morale in there somewhere but I guess the PC crowd would object.  There is a price to be paid for everything we do & desire in life.  Some pay with their labor, some with money & some with prayer.

Mona Golub, spokeswoman for Price Chopper (PC) was not enamored with the idea that the food PC donates has a prayer clause attached when served.   Mona has a point, up to a point.  It is understood in political circles that Mona is on a 'short list' of possible candidates for the 21st Congressional District.  Mona would run as a Republican, as a Republican she has to fake Republican/Conservative values.

Let the poor be feed & let them pray.  Everyone needs constrains in their life to guide them.  Allowing the forever poor to live without rules & regulations is to condemn them to eating Golub handouts for the rest of their lives.  Ditto welfare.

Edmond Day

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Prayer for free meal an improper quid pro quo

    I just finished reading the Nov. 14 article [“Soup kitchen dinner comes with a hitch”] about how the Capital City Mission of Albany accepts food from the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, but will only provide a hot dinner to those who attend a halfhour prayer service.
    The head of the mission says that those who do not wish to hear the message can go elsewhere. The head of the Food Bank says it’s all right as long as they hand out food in bags to be eaten elsewhere. Well, that may all be true, so then I guess it is also all right for donors like me to say, we’ll give food or money elsewhere until we receive a guarantee that none of our donation goes to that particular location.
I give money to the Food Bank, Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest) and UNICEF to help the hungry — not the hungry of any particular religion or group. When Jesus fed the many with loaves and fi shes, he asked for nothing.
Please remember to help another this holiday season, whether feeding the hungry or giving to Toys for Tots or some other worthy cause.

SHARON FLOOD
Schenectady

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Ya know what? If I was starving and didn't have any means to feed myself or my family....a prayer or an entire religious service wouldn't keep me from eating there. Not everything is secular ya know! JMO

Quoted from Admin

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00705&AppName=1

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When Jesus fed the many with loaves and fi shes, he asked for nothing.