The Table is Set:
The Story of Newark’s Free Lunch Program

In the quiet heart of Newark, tucked within the warm walls of Emmanuel Outreach Center, a table is set. It is not a single table—not one with reserved seats or silver spoons—but a living, growing table that has stood for three decades welcoming every soul who comes through its doors.

What began in 1993 as a simple Thanksgiving Day meal shared by Art and Elsie Deys for their neighbors has unfolded into a ministry of sustenance and fellowship: The Free Lunch Program . From those humble beginnings—two days a week, serving hot meals to a few dozen—this program has become a lifeline in our community, now serving meals four days a week and offering expanded support to meet the rising need.

For the past twenty years, Manny and Alice Crespo have poured their hearts into leading the Free Lunch Program with extraordinary dedication. Stepping into their roles in 2006, they stepped into a leadership role. Manny works tirelessly behind the scenes—partnering with FoodLink, securing donations from local markets, writing grants, and organizing community food distribution—while Alice coordinates the daily volunteer teams, manages the kitchen, and ensures every guest is welcomed with kindness. Together, they embody the hospitality and compassion at the very heart of this ministry, nourishing both bodies and spirits throughout our community.

Meeting the Need in Difficult Times

Last year alone, this ministry placed over 23,500 meals into the hands of those who came hungry. On an average month, 1,500 guests are served in our fellowship hall or through carry-out service. And as economic pressures increase—particularly in the wake of government shutdowns and reductions to food programs such as SNAP and WIC—the program has stepped faithfully into the gap, adding a Monday grab-and-go meal to help ensure no one begins their week hungry.

The need is real. Across Wayne County, nearly 9% of residents face food insecurity , meaning they do not consistently know where their next meal will come from. For children, the rates are even more urgent— one in seven faces hunger at some point during the year. These numbers are not abstract; they are the faces of neighbors, classmates, and friends right here in Newark.

More Than a Meal

Each day begins at 9:30 a.m. when kitchen volunteers—neighbors from the community—arrive to prepare the hot meal using ingredients from our pantry. At 10:00 a.m., the doors open, and the early hours are filled with coffee, breakfast sweets, and conversation. This is a time for companionship, listening, and encouragement. Occasionally, there are special programs; recently, Rev. Dr. Robin Blair offered a thoughtful presentation on how the media influences our daily lives—reminding us that nourishment comes not only for the body but also for the mind and spirit.

At 11:00 a.m., lunch is served—both in-house and, when needed, in grab-and-go bags. Cleanup is completed by 12:30 p.m., often with the help of guests themselves. In this way, the program continues to be a partnership: volunteers giving of their time and energy, and guests offering gratitude and assistance in return.

Beyond the Table: New Initiatives

The Free Lunch Program has also taken a bold new step to address urgent hunger needs through a ministry called Dinner Tonight . This program was born out of necessity—providing emergency food supplies in moments when other resources, such as the Newark Food Closet, are closed or inaccessible. Dinner Tonight offers small but vital food packages that help families make it through the night and into the next morning.

Weekly, through collaborations with local grocers, unshelved food finds new purpose here rather than waste. Once or twice each month, guests receive boxes filled with produce, dairy, and fresh staples to supplement their diets. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, over 150 families receive special grocery packages so holiday tables everywhere might carry the joy and dignity of a shared meal.

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There is no paid staff here—only people whose gifts are offered freely. Each day’s work is led by a team who plans menus, cooks, serves, and cleans up. What they create is far more than a meal. It is a place where everyone belongs—a space in which hunger can be met without shame, fellowship is offered without condition, and where the church’s mission is lived out in pots of soup, baskets of bread, and open, listening hearts.

This is Newark’s living table—a ministry utterly dependent on the love and labor of volunteers, on the generosity of local food outlets, and on the grace of God.

In times when uncertainty seems to have the last word, the Free Lunch Program speaks another truth: that compassion is stronger than scarcity and that a shared table can indeed feed both body and soul.