“One Meal started nine years ago after a chili cook off when we gave the leftovers to the homeless. My daughter, Marina, was with us and 13 at the time. On the drive home she said she didn’t know people had to scrounge and beg for food and she wanted to help. The next day was Sunday so we made up sandwiches and chips and took them to Bienville Square and they ate them up. We doubled it the next week and they ate that, too. I used to cook in the Navy and thought there is no way they can eat more I can cook. I got hooked on cooking and feeding people who need a little help. We took it up to 150 healthy servings a week. City Church of Mobile shows up with desserts and salads and El Bethel is providing the meal today. We do 7600 meals a year and I cook 6500 from the kitchen in my house. When we started, we were just trying to feed a few people, now we are an entity in Mobile. We also prepare food boxes for families and share with other ministries who are doing the same work. We get 35,000 pounds of fished donated a year. The last chicken donation was 17,500 pounds. Everyone gets a little bit of that. People from everywhere show up and help. St. Louis Baptist Church let us use their parking lot because the city doesn’t want us in the park. Now we just call this having a picnic with all of our friends on church property. We feed people so we always need help with food, serving plates and cleaning supplies. One Meal helps the people in need and also helps the people who need the people in need. There are people who have felt a calling to help people but they don’t know who or how to help. I tell them to come here and watch and talk and God will tell you what to do. We are an open door.”