Just Feed One: Community in Congregation
by Ruth Bailey
The community of Lincoln, Nebraska embodies a spirit of unity where residents from all walks of life come together to support those in need. Matt Talbot’s Kitchen and Outreach serves as a cornerstone of this communal care, providing two hot meals a day and a place where people can gather. Dozens of people of all ages and backgrounds gather around shared tables during mealtimes. Different groups of people, including long-time members of St. Johns, Community Corrections staff and groups of friends, come together to help those experiencing homelessness. The city’s collective response to hardship, especially during the deadly cold, demonstrates how Lincoln’s diverse population forms a blanket of mutual support and understanding for one another.
Cheryl Ferree, Leah Albers and Fran O’Leary (left to right) gather at Matt Talbot’s Kitchen and Outreach in Lincoln, Neb., to prepare dinner on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. The women volunteer once a month to serve those in need. Anyone can walk into Matt Talbot’s for two free, hot meals every day.
Vicky Dunn, Tiny Van-Oehlertz, Anne Souchek, Mary Clasen and Janice Thomas (left to right) serve Denise Stickney, 59, and Rickie Moore, 69 on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. “It’s heartbreaking watching some people in line,” Clasen, 72, said. Most people that walk through the doors are homeless or nearly homeless. The women volunteer on the fourth Friday every other month.
Marcus, 7, eats a piece of bread for dinner on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, with his mom and three sisters. Dinner is served from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. every day.
Janice Thomas, 78, rolls 100 sets of silverware for lunch on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Guests are welcome to stay and eat at one of the many tables in the dining room or take a box to-go.
Nancy Fuchs, 68, and Vicky Dunn, 73, prepare cream of chicken soup for lunch on Feb. 22, 2025. Nine volunteers helped prepare and serve lunch on Saturday.
Malique Grant, 28, eats fruit with his dinner on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Grant has been coming to Matt Talbot’s for three years. While new people visit Matt Talbot’s each week, there are old heads that come for every meal, sitting and talking about politics and life, Grant said. Because of the deadly cold this past week, Matt Talbot’s opened its doors earlier and stayed open later, staff and volunteers working around the clock to help the Lincoln community.
Fran O’Leary and Cheryl Ferree prepare to-go boxes for dinner on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Ferree scooped beef and rice casserole into the box, and O’Leary served cherry cobbler.
Gary Brakhage, 73, eats dinner on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Brakhage is living on retirement, so he comes to Matt Talbot’s for a free meal and community. He spent the evening chatting with Lauren Wilson, 68. The two have been coming to Matt Talbot’s for meals for years.
Emily, 11, eats dinner with her mom and siblings on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. She watched her family eat in relative silence, savoring the hot meal before her.
A Lincoln Police Department officer monitors lunch and dinner at Matt Talbot’s on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. He gives a five-minute warning before mealtimes are over and helps clean the dining room after guests are gone.