 Where many people in our area are frequently faced with homelessness - or at the very least, the choice to pay the rent or pay for food - ETS' Everyone Eats Meal Program is a valuable resource in our community. Everyone Eats provides approximately 300 hot meals to Detroit's homeless and hungry every Wednesday from 11:00 until Noon at the Seminary. As a Seminary whose mission includes integrating theology with practice and faith with social responsibility, we use a distinct model of service at Everyone Eats. In observance of ETS' guiding principle that encourages ETS to utilize educational methods that are "transformational and uniquely relevant," our curriculum allows a student to complete the Ministry Practicum Internship requirement working as the program coordinator for Everyone Eats. Beyond that, we also encourage all ETS students, faculty, and staff to volunteer at Everyone Eats whenever possible. This is important because our approach to "feeding the hungry" is more than responding to social responsibility, but includes an important element of social transformation. For example, instead of shepherding clients through a line in a system where volunteers stand on opposite sides of a table spooning food unto a plate, our volunteers individually serve with a sense of respect, dignity and fellowship. At least one volunteer welcomes each client at the door and seats them at a table. Other volunteers serve clients their meal at the table. This "restaurant style" approach offers a vision of community our clients seldom receive on the street. The clients tell us they enjoy being served - the volunteers tell us they enjoy this opportunity to talk with the clients. Another ETS principle at work here is the facilitation of relationships among city, suburban and rural congregations and colleagues. We have several churches from both suburban and urban settings who engage one another as they volunteer together at Everyone Eats. The experience is transformational in that it connects powerful spiritual and social realities in service to the people of God. This intentional fostering of community tends to blur the distinctions between client and volunteer/urban and suburban/ white and African American - all of which are key to ETS' approach to theological education. We welcome you to participate in this dynamic example of ETS' mission! You can volunteer your time, talent, and/or treasure. We accept donations of food, clothing, supplies, and cash. We can always use your help serving as a volunteer too! For further details or to sign up as a volunteer, contact: |