By Rebecca Martin
Today, I had the pleasure to eat at the Queens Galley for lunch while meeting with Diane Reeder and Farmer Jesica Clark. The place was packed at noontime, so we found some open seats and shared our table with others while waiting to be served.
Waiting to be served? At a soup kitchen?
We were greeted promptly by a volunteer who brought us soup, salad and a main course of home made falafel, hummus and a tofu dish. It was “meatless” Monday after all – and it was really good thanks to their dedicated volunteers.
What Diane and the Galley have created is a community atmosphere – something unique and important to support and maintain. If you haven’t had the time to volunteer, or the means to make a contribution – here is a chance to do something meaningful to support them. Diane is asking the community to write a letter to direct the producers to their video so that perhaps they are selected for an ‘Extreme Makeover” in the not too distant future. Diane tells me that they will decide their filming schedule by June and writes:
The Queens Galley has applied for ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition.
One of the selection criteria is to show we have a broad base of community support. While WE know how many of you are there for us every day now we need to show the casting company that Queens Galley is truly ‘owned’ by a community of people that care. Some of you have eaten here, some of you have gotten shelter here, some of you have sliced, diced and chopped others have written checks and reposted/retweeted when we have a need, event or concern.
The building we are in is literally crumbling around us. This past Winter we met with challenges so severe we came through only by the grace of God and the generosity of people like YOU.
Please consider contacting the production company, either via snail mail (the address is above for Lock and Key Productions 5062 Lankershim Blvd Suite 3005 North Hollywood CA 91601) or via email EMHEcastingdept@gmail.com
Remember to include the link to our youtube video application:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EY2_iHSsDc
Tell them of your experience with us, have you been here? Have you been inspired by us? Do you know someone who has been helped by us?
On behalf of all of us here who are crossing our fingers, lighting candles, burning sage and looking for lucky charms; we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your help in keeping us open and able to be here every day for anyone in need, no questions asked. We’re helping to feed the Hudson Valley…one meal at a time.
Diane
I am a college student at the State University of New York at New Waltz which happens to be only 20 minutes away from the Queens Galley soup kitchen. About 3 yrs ago, I began volunteering at Queens Galley through a campus youth group. I have volunteered at many other soup kitchens before but the Queens Galley is a different entity. I was so surprised at how they treated each of their guests. Respect is so important to all the volunteers. Being able to serve everyone a sit down meal with real silverware and food that is made with love and thought is rare, even nonexistent, at a soup kitchen. And unlike most soup kitchens, which just meet the needs of food service, the Queens Galley strives to go beyond just serving people food who need it but go into their homes and solve the problem. They find ways to attain cheaper food for their members and even teach their guests how to make good food at home that is cheap and stretches longer. The current building that the queens galley works out of is decent for the area that it is located in but so limiting for what the queens galley could be. I have no doubt in my mind that the workers at the Queens Galley have the passion and strength to completely better the lives of so many people in the downtown Kingston area- but it is sad to know that their zeal could be limited by the current state of their facilities. Please give them a chance to continue giving chances to so many who have fallen through the cracks,,,