Service is the purest expression of faith.

For the congregation of Centenary United Methodist Church, it's a weekly routine.

Every Friday at 10:30 a.m., lunch is served to more than 100 people in need of a warm meal.

Alvin Nathaniel Richardson has been the facilities manager for Centenary Downtown for around 40 years. He calls the feeding program a labor of love, and says visitors know that they're entering a safe environment.

“I grew to love them as friends," Richardson said. "Some of them don’t have friends, and I think they kind of look at me like a pastor because I know how to relate to them.”

Alvin Nathaniel Richardson prepares a to-go box of food at Centenary United Methodist’s soup kitchen on May 9, 2025.

Richardson himself was once in a similar position to the people who come to eat. He says it helps him relate to them.

“For some, whenever things go well for them later on in life, they always come back to say thank you," Richardson said.

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Sparkle Veronica Taylor is one of those people.

On Friday, she donned an apron and stepped into the kitchen of Centenary Downtown for the first time as a volunteer. Taylor said the opportunity to return to Centenary Downtown to lend a helping hand was a full-circle moment.

“I’m grateful to be here today to give back to a community and directly to an organization that has benefitted and nurtured me when I needed it the most," Taylor said.

For many years, Taylor said she and her family benefitted from the services at Centenary Downtown and the other churches involved.

“Even though I’m not in a place where I really need that support anymore, it still gives me great joy to be able to help," Taylor said.

Sparkles Veronica Taylor inspects packages of grapes while volunteering at Centenary United Methodist’s soup kitchen on May 9, 2025. Taylor and her family benefited from the soup kitchen before she found stable housing nine years ago.

Patsy Marrs Wilson runs the check-in desk for Centenary United Methodist’s soup kitchen on May 9, 2025, at Centenary United Methodist in Richmond, Va.

'Jesus set the example'

Doug Wilson and Patsy Marrs Wilson have been members of the Centenary Downtown congregation for just over 20 years.

“When you read about hunger and homelessness, it’s an abstract thing," Doug said. "But, when you see it in person it really makes a difference."

The couple each has their own specific role in the operation of the food service.

Patsy Wilson is in charge of registration; when people come in to dine, she has them sign in with their names and ages, then hands them an index card with a number on it.

Over the years, members of the feeding program have said that the best thing volunteers can do for them is learn their names. Patsy Wilson says she looks over her registration list after services and prays for their visitors by name.

“We try to interact with the people and talk with them," Patsy Wilson said. "Of course now we recognize them, we know them. We know their situations and we check on them to see how they’re doing.”

At her registration desk, visitors can also grab some hand sanitizer, face masks, and even a word search puzzle.

Doug Wilson puts a cup and silverware on a tray for a man at Centenary United Methodist’s soup kitchen on May 9, 2025, at Centenary United Methodist in Richmond, Va.

Beverley Franklin seasons a pan of vegetables while volunteering for Centenary United Methodist’s soup kitchen on May 9, 2025.

Patsy Wilson says that over time she has learned to identify when someone isn't in the best state of mind, but there's almost always someone there to make them feel welcome.

Sometimes, it's other visitors.

“They have fellowship among themselves. I’ve had people come up to register and tell me they didn’t come to eat, just to be with their buddies," Patsy Wilson said.

The registration table also has "Richmond Street Sheets" for diners. On it, they can find information on resources for food, hygiene needs, housing programs, transportation assistance and more.

Wilson works in both the main dining room and the kitchen, organizing the trays of warm food for people to come grab. He'll signal to Richardson and other volunteers on when to send the next wave of people based on the number they're given by Patsy Wilson.

When asked how their faith guides them through each food service, the Wilsons referenced the book of Luke, verse 12:48: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked."

Bill Groves removes a pan of pork barbecue from the oven while volunteering at Centenary United Methodist’s soup kitchen on May 9, 2025, at Centenary United Methodist in Richmond, Va.

'Partners in service'

Centenary Downtown has been hosting its feeding program since the 1970s. It has only grown stronger since. The church has partnered with Feed More since 1998, coordinating with them to provide the ingredients used in the kitchen.

“We’re proud to stand alongside Centenary United Methodist Church in our fight against hunger,” said David Waidelich, chief collaboration and programs officer at Feed More.

Each week, the cooks in the kitchen open surprise boxes of grocery items. Around 1.5 hours before service, the team comes up with the dishes of the day and gets to work. The kitchen is staffed by members of churches from across the community through the Downtown Community Ministries.

Centenary Downtown is one of the few congregate meal sites within the Feed More network. Waidelich says the church takes the extra step to transform healthy groceries into "delicious and community-oriented" lunches.

"In 2024 alone, Centenary provided more than 6,000 wholesome meals for those in need, underscoring the profound impact of this long-standing collaboration," Waidelich said.

Tom Pyles and Beverley Franklin check a tin of vegetables to see if it is cooked while volunteering at Centenary United Methodist’s soup kitchen on May 9, 2025, at Centenary United Methodist in Richmond, Va.

Sean eats a plate of food from Centenary United Methodist’s soup kitchen on May 9, 2025, at Centenary United Methodist in Richmond, Va.

'We know when they've had a hard day or a hard night'

When visitors come in, they're greeted with a 'good morning' by at least one volunteer.

“We want everyone to feel welcome when they come in because we don’t know what they’ve had to go through the last few days and nights," Marrs Wilson said.

One of the volunteers is a social worker, who is a member of the church as well. She says that simply smiling and looking their visitors in the eye goes a long way. It aligns with the goal of Centenary Downtown to humanize the experience and make people feel at-home.

“We’re making a difference," Richardson said. "And it makes me feel good that I am making a difference for them."