Lantern House

​A table allows people to share a meal together. It serves as a place for children to play games and make crafts. It’s a place to gather, to rest, and to share conversation. At Lantern House, which exists to “aid the poor, needy and homeless by providing them food, shelter, and critical emergency services,” delicious, well-balanced meals are served daily to anyone who needs one. And they are served around old, wobbly tables that are sometimes missing legs, or are strategically held together by duct tape or propped up on books. 

Last year, Lantern House had the opportunity to replace some of the old tables, and the impact could be felt and seen immediately. As Michelle Perry, the Kitchen Manager and Chef at Lantern House explains, “When the new tables were put in the dining area and people came into eat, you could see the smiles on their faces as each person wanted to sit at them.” 

With the $1000 See Beautiful Milestone Grant, Lantern House will be one table closer to replacing the old, tired tables. A new table will make way for more beautiful to be created and shared in the dining room and beyond. Lantern House’s core values of compassion, service, dignity, and responsibility shine through around the table. As residents of the center transition from homelessness, they do so with self-sufficiency, independence, and self-confidence. But there always remains a spot at the table.

Author

Jannan Poppen, Giving Coordinator