Dec. 26--For Katie Bauser, Christmas giving this year meant more than exchanging neatly wrapped gifts with friends and family.
Bauser, a full-time volunteer for Franciscan Outreach, joined about 10 others from the Chicago area who chose to spend the holiday preparing food for the needy at Marquard Center Kitchen in the Wicker Park neighborhood.
The soup kitchen serves dinner every day of the year. But Friday was special: Volunteers, including many from Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, cooked a holiday spread that included ham, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy and sweet potato pie.
"We try to do something special for the holidays," said Bauser, who wore a Santa Claus-themed headband. "It's a hard time of year for a lot of our guests. We have to remember a lot of them don't have families. So we try to cheer it up as much as possible."
One of the diners, Maurice Burr, 47, has relied on a scooter for a little more than two decades, since he was shot twice in the head in a carjacking on the West Side. For the past three years, Burr has appreciated the help from the volunteers who work year-round to fix meals for the less fortunate.
"It means a lot to us," Burr said. "It shows they care about the community. They are an awesome staff here. They treat you like a human being, like a normal person. They treat you with respect and that's all you can ask for."
Scott Elders, a volunteer who wore a Santa hat and phony beard with a pair of sunglasses, said he once shared similar experiences with many of the guests who attend nightly dinners. Elders has been volunteering with the soup kitchen for the last seven years after being on the receiving side of the dinner years ago and living in Franciscan Outreach's accompanying shelter.
"I got myself in the kitchen helping out and I ain't stopped since," Elders said. "When I was hungry and homeless it was a good thing for me."
Volunteers also offer other services during the holiday season, including helping people with laundry, providing a place to shower and simply opening the doors as a daytime hangout.
"That's something I never thought about before I got here," Bauser said. "It's like 'Duh, people need their clothes washed. Duh, people need showers.' We do this stuff everyday and don't think about it."
In addition to enjoying Christmas dinner, guests also left with a stocking-stuffer prepared by a Franciscan fraternity as volunteers gave away goody bags with Christmas cards and $10 gift cards.
tbriscoe@tribpub.com
