It could be freezing cold and snowing, blazing hot or raining. Christmas morning, Easter Sunday or a birthday. For the last three-and-a-half years, no matter what the weather or the celebration, York Bradshaw, president of Urban Hunger Project and his volunteers could be found serving meals every Saturday and Sunday morning in Baltimore.
Starting at 5 a.m., Bradshaw and his volunteers descend on the kitchen at St. Lawrence Martyr in Hanover. They stir pots of oatmeal and heat casseroles before packing everything and delivering it to the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Cumberland Street in West Baltimore by 9 a.m. There, another crew of volunteers, along with some helpers waiting in line, set up tables on the sidewalk and put out the prepared food to share.
“This does take a lot of time,” said Bradshaw, a parishioner of St. Lawrence Martyr in Hanover.
Those who rely on the ministry describe it as a lifeline.
“I’m thankful for them every Saturday and Sunday because I can feed my kids,” said Devon Miller of Baltimore, after receiving his food earlier this summer.
Urban Hunger is an outgrowth of SALT (Serving All with Love Together), a ministry begun at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ellicott City. Both provide food to those in need, but Urban Hunger is a nonprofit and not affiliated with any religion, Bradshaw said. While St. Lawrence Martyr allows Urban Hunger to use its kitchen, the church does not provide any funding to the nonprofit, which relies on donations and fundraisers.
“We have a number of churches cooking for us either every week or every other week,” Bradshaw said. “We are always looking for food. God provides it one way or another.”
Urban Hunger provides roughly 400 hot meals every weekend, Bradshaw said. On the Saturday before Mother’s Day, the nonprofit’s offerings of hot oatmeal, bread pudding and pasta were complemented with trays of fried chicken, fruit salad and peach cobbler donated by volunteers that weekend.
The West Baltimore location was chosen in part because it is one of the most underserved parts of the city, Bradshaw said. It is near St. Peter Claver, not far from the epicenter of where the city was roiled in unrest following the death of Freddie Gray Jr. while in police custody. The overall poverty rate and crime levels are higher than other parts of Baltimore, Bradshaw said.
“Each weekend we have about 80 to 85 percent repeat customers,” Bradshaw said. “People really rely on us. They don’t have access to food. The crowd is always there.”
Bradshaw always has several bottles of whipped cream and bags of brown sugar available. Many drug addicts, he said, crave sugar and they request it on everything, even their pasta.
“There is a high level of drug use,” Bradshaw said. “Once a month someone ODs. We all carry Narcan (a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose).”
Despite the area’s challenges, Bradshaw has never had any issues.
“Occasionally, there are arguments, and very occasionally a fight,” Bradshaw said. “People are respectful. They know us.”
On the second Saturday of the month, members of the Third Order Trinitarians, a group of laypersons at St. Lawrence Martyr, make bagged lunches consisting of two sandwiches, fresh fruit and a cheese stick for Urban Hunger and other groups to distribute. The lay Trinitarians also meet every Wednesday evening, along with other volunteers, to make the bread pudding and casseroles for Urban Hunger.
“It takes a village,” said Margaret Berglund, a member of the Third Order. “We all work together. We’re all one family.”
While the primary goal is to provide food, the Urban Hunger Project also distributes blankets, hats and gloves during the winter months. Bags of cat and dog food are available on occasion and information about various services is always handy. When a priest is present, opportunities for the sacrament of reconciliation are offered.
Volunteers are always welcome, whether to help in the kitchen, serve on the streets or pick up food from donors such as Panera Bread or Schmidt Bakery. Bradshaw has worked with youth groups and local businesses.
“We have people from many different religions and people who are not religious,” Bradshaw said. “It takes a lot of different people with a lot of different gifts.”
Matthew Williams, of Baltimore, is a regular customer every weekend and often offers a prayer before the food is served.
“I help out and do whatever I can to give a hand,” Williams said, before heading off with his food. “It’s a good thing feeding the homeless. The bread pudding is really delicious.”
Email Katie Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org
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