Members of Albuquerque Synagogues Serve Meals at Homeless Shelters on Christmas Day

By Michelle Radden-Vogler

For the past four years, members of several Jewish synagogues in Albuquerque; Congregation Nahalat Shalom, Temple Albert and B’nai Israel, have been preparing and serving breakfast meals to homeless people in our community on Christmas day and Easter Sunday. Volunteers from many different faith communities in Albuquerque also participate.

This year, Nahalat Shalom hosted the meal at the Good Shepherd Center and Congregation Albert prepared and served breakfast at St. Martins Hospitality (in much of the same manner as on Christmas Day, 2014)

As members of the Jewish community we are providing this service so that those Christians who regularly work at the Good Shepherd Center have the opportunity to celebrate these important holidays with their families or in ways that are meaningful to them.

We are also participating in the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam, a Hebrew term defined as ‘acts of kindness through human actions that help to repair the world’. Through these actions we seek to transform our broken world so that it reflect the divine values of justice and compassion.

The challenges of hunger, homelessness and poverty are huge issues that must involve all of us- from different faith communities and belief systems—in fact from every aspect of society.

We are grateful to be part of these efforts within our community as well as the many social justice projects affecting our world today.

The photos in this blog post were taken on Christmas day 2015 at Good Shepherd Homeless Center. The center, located in downtown Albuquerque, serves over 300 meals every day of the year to people in need. Brother Gerard Sullivan and all the fine members of the Center provide a variety of programs that assist people in lifting themselves out of homelessness and poverty.

The author is a member of Nahalat Shalom and a participant in the Interfaith Hunger Coalition.

Thanksgiving Meals for the Homeless Community in Albuquerque

Courtesy of ClipArtSheep  

(Please note: All these sites already have all the volunteers they need. The one location that might need help is La Mesa Presbyterian Church. You can call the church office, 255-8095, and ask: “What can I do to help you out on Thanksgiving Day?)

November 21 (Saturday)  
11:00 am to 3:00 pm -- Chava Trucking Company Thanksgiving Dinner, 409 Clark Road SW (2-1/2 miles south of Rio Bravo off of 2nd Street).

Shuttle service will be provided, beginning at 10:30 am, at St. Martin’s, Good Shepherd Center, Albuquerque Rescue Mission, Project Share, Noon Day, Salvation Army Temple (on Broadway & Lead), and Joy Junction

November 23 (Monday)  

• 6:00-7:00 pm – Pre-Thanksgiving meal at Joy Junction

November 24 (Tuesday)

•  8:00 am to 4:00 pm -- Noon Day is open (showers, laundry and breakfast, but no lunch)
• 11:00 am to 2:00 pm – Albuquerque Rescue Mission’s Thanksgiving meal (no breakfast or dinner that day at ARM)

*****All other sites will have regular schedule*****

November 25 (Wednesday) 

• 8:00 to 11:00 am -- Noon Day is open (showers, laundry and breakfast, but no lunch)
• 11:00 am to 2:00 pm – Joy Junction’s Thanksgiving meal at the Convention Center downtown (you can get free tickets at various shelters for reserved meal times, but no one will be turned away)

*****All other sites will have regular schedule (including HCH)*****

Courtesy of ClipArtSheep

Thanksgiving Day (Thursday).

• There will be a circle of remembrance, a sunrise gathering in honor of Native peoples (6:25 am sunrise) in the parking lot of the Albuquerque Center for Peace & Justice (Harvard & Silver SE)
• 8:30 to 9:30 am – Thanksgiving brunch at Good Shepherd Center (only meal that day at Good Shepherd)
• 9:00 am – holiday meal at St. Martin’s (hours are 7:00 to 11:00 am on Thanksgiving Day)
• 10:00 am to 2:00 pm –Thanksgiving meal at Salvation Army Temple, 501 Broadway SE (& Lead)
• 11:00 am to 2:00 pm – Thanksgiving meal at La Mesa Presbyterian Church, 7401 Copper NE (north of Central, east of Louisiana)
• 2:00 to 4:00 pm – Thanksgiving dinner at Joy Junction
• 5:00 to 6:00 pm – Thanksgiving dinner at Project Share, 1515 Yale SE (south of Kathryn)
• 5:00 to 6:00 pm – regular dinner at Albuquerque Rescue Mission (no breakfast that day, but opens at 12:30 pm)

    **Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless (HCH) and Noon Day will be closed****

November 27 (Friday) Homeless services: St. Martin’s hours will be open 7-4 with 10:00 am meal only; all other sites (Noon Day, Healthcare for the Homeless (HCH), Good Shepherd Center, Albuquerque Rescue Mission and others) will have regular schedule.