Redacted Magazine sits down with the director of the Dignity Diner, a weekly free meal service that offers a restaurant-style experience for the hungry in Lakeview.
HOW TO VISIT DIGNITY DINER
WHEN: Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Holy Covenant United Methodist Church; 925 W. Diversey Parkway
TRANSCRIPTION
At the corner of Wilson and Diversity in Lakeview, messages on the importance of community draped the walls of Holy Covenant United Methodist Church.
The church is home to the Dignity Diner. Dignity Diner is a weekly free meal program for the hungry. Guests can enjoy a sit-down, restaurant-style experience where they are served a three-course meal.
Katie Wolford is the director of the diner. She combines her passion for cooking with service.
“Every Tuesday night, we feed anybody who needs a warm meal: the elderly in the area, anybody who is homeless or just needs some help,” she says.
The diner has temporarily stopped offering sit-down dining. Instead, bagged dinners are packed inside and are available for curbside pickup. Director Wolford says they typically serve 50 to 75 meals a week.
However, the demand is rising.
“In COVID, we’ve seen a lot of new faces just because I think that it’s really affected a lot of people in a lot of different ways — in all walks of life. Everyone’s welcome here,” Wolford says.
They say their greatest need is bottled water.
[Redacted Magazine] 