Thank you, Karen and Kathy!

For almost 30 years, Nativity of Our Lord parishioners have served a hot, nutritious dinner to the guests at Dorothy Day Center in downtown St. Paul.

Many volunteers have been part of the program since Nativity first joined. Three teams cook and serve dinner to approximately 200 guests on the fourth Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November. All Nativity parishioners support the purchase of ingredients through stewardship to the Church.

After nearly three decades, Nativity's Loaves and Fishes is undergoing a transition. Team Leads Karen Lee (pictured at right) and Kathy Polga (below) are stepping down, after having been two of the original volunteer leaders.

We wish to honor and thank Karen and Kathy for their great service to our brothers and sisters in our community and to the good work of Catholic Charities.

[Karen and Kathy’s] leadership is a remarkable example of Nativity's concern for the poor,” remarked Peter Butler, Nativity’s lead contact person for the ministry, who himself is stepping down this month. “Thousands of people have benefitted from the meals and hospitality you and your team provided.”

The three teams have been blessed by the stable leadership of Karen and Kathy (January and July), Jamie Tracy (March and September) and Margaret McDonell and Mickey Nickelson (May and November, plus March at St. Mathew's Church on the West Side).

These dedicated individuals and their teams continued to serve from a temporary location while the new Dorothy Day Center was built and now during the COVID pandemic.

A fourth team of Nativity parents and students served guests every other month at Faith Lutheran Church in the Frogtown neighborhood for several years until that site closed.

With the departure of Karen and Kathy, we now need two Team Leads to carry on their good work. The program is also in need of a parish contact to serve as liaison among the teams and the Dorothy Day Center staff.

Finally, the teams need new members to assist with cooking and serving dinner, as many long-time volunteers regretfully have had to step back due to COVID precautions.

The time commitment is minimal: two hours twice per year from 4-6pm for servers or 2-4pm for cooks and assistance. Many volunteers feel great satisfaction in serving others a meal and socializing with the guests, who are always grateful for the hospitality.

Please call the parish office to learn more or to join a team. Thank you!

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A version of this article originally appeared in the April 18, 2021 parish bulletin.