Soups On At St. Pauls

In conjunction with The Lehigh Valley Conference of Churches, lunch is served three times a week at St. Pauls. According to Reverend Richard Baumann, We treat them as people, not just simply give them food. In some sense, this is a place where people can get something to eat and are also treated with some degree of respect. Baumann arranges for some of the nurses in the parish to attend the lunches, which gives the lunch guests an opportunity to ask some health related questions. Recently, Pastor Baumann has been in the news for providing basic shelter from the cold for the homeless. Over the years I've know Baumann as an advocate for the neighborhood. About ten years ago he spoke up for the neighbors who were concerned about losing the neighborhood parking lot, to the Zawarski townhouse project. He also advocated for the merchants and residents who were displaced by the arena. Although the church may be one of the oldest in the city, Baumann makes sure that it's mission stays relevant to the times.

ADDENDUM: On Tuesday evening Julio Guridy visited Safe Haven, which is the basement of St. Pauls, and The Rescue Mission, which has a $multi-million dollar budget. He was shocked at the lack of facilities at the church, but impressed with the Mission. What he doesn't seem to understand is that although the Mission may have room for a few guests from St. Paul, it cannot, and will not accommodate all of them. In this sub-zero weather there is nothing more important than being inside, even if it's on the floor of a church basement.