Many hungry women walk through the door at Lisieux Community, and thanks to the generous support of the community, we are able to provide them with a healthy, nourishing meal. 

We are open to the public from 12:00-4:00 p.m. on Monday, and an important part of our day is a meal. The meals are prepared offsite and delivered so that we may serve them family-style in our dining room. Meals are kept warm throughout the afternoon in our kitchen, and volunteers plate and serve them as women arrive.

Alongside Hope House, on Thursday, we offer “Creative Expression” at 10:30 a.m. Following the class, the attendees eat a meal together. Sometimes hot, sometimes cold, it is a wonderful way for the women to break bread together as they continue to discuss what they have learned in the morning.

Leftovers? We do not waste food at Lisieux! Tuesday-Friday women drop-in at the center for appointments to get their ID, Social Security card, or to be transported to medical or mental health appointments. If you arrive hungry on these days and we have food, we will feed you! We will offer the complete menu from Monday, rethink the products to provide a new meal, or simply freeze individual portions and reheat them for later use. When possible, we will even package up food to go and deliver it to women along Summer Avenue during Thursday street outreach.

Are you interested in providing a meal at Lisieux Community? This is a wonderful opportunity for an individual who loves to cook or a group looking for a team-building project. Here are a few of the guidelines:

1. The women appreciate variety. They enjoy a hot meal, as it is sometimes rare, but on occasion a good-old sandwich hits the spot. We do ask that you consider that these are hungry women and plan accordingly. We like to serve a main dish plus a couple of sides. Like most, the women enjoy bread when it is an appropriate accompaniment. Including a fresh fruit or vegetable is always appreciated. Please also consider that some of the women we serve have dental issues. Softer food versus hard, crunchy food is a better choice (i.e. no raw apples). 
2. We ask that meals arrive fully cooked. We will keep them warm, but do not have a commercial kitchen to allow for onsite cooking.
3. You do not have to provide dessert. Our master baker, Joy, provides all of the desserts for the women.
4. You do not have to provide plates, cups, napkins, or utensils. We try not to use paper plates, etc., as we like the women to feel as though they are being served at home!
5. While the number of women on a Monday varies, we generally plan for 35 portions. This is a lot of food to prepare, which is why some choose to take on the project as a group!
6. We begin service at noon on Monday, so we ask that the food is delivered by 11:00 a.m. If it is easier to drop the food off on the weekend, we are happy to make arrangements to do so.
7. In order to make everyone’s job easier, you may want to use large throw-away aluminum pans to transport food that will need to be kept hot. If you are using pots, pans, crockpots, etc., that need to be returned, please label them!

How do you sign-up to help? Please go to our Sign-Up Genius and choose the date you wish to provide a Monday meal. You will receive a confirmation email, and a reminder prior to your designated day. If you are interested in providing a meal for a smaller group, Thursdays may be a good fit for you. To learn more about providing a meal on a Thursday, please call Jordan at 901-308-3058.

We appreciate you feeding the women of Lisieux Community!

Coming soon – a separate sign-up sheet just for meals!