Pauline Yoder hustles around her kitchen each day to prepare and serve lunch to Goshen’s hungry.
“Want veggies with that,” Yoder asks a tiny lady bundled in worn winter clothing who has shuffled up to the serving counter Thursday afternoon.
Yoder knows many of the people in line by name and has gotten to know their likes and dislikes in food.
She also knows there are some new faces showing up for lunch each weekday. Those are the newly unemployed or
underemployed.
But surprisingly — as Goshen’s unemployment rate has topped 12 percent — the recent number of meals served at The Window on Main Street has remained about the same.
Yoder said while some of Goshen’s newly unemployed people are taking advantage of the free hot lunches, many are not.
“The ethnic groups are not coming in anymore,” she said. “There are a few, but not many.”
Speculation in the Goshen area is that as the economy has shrunk, many Hispanics who once worked in the factories and service industry have left the area.
But there is still plenty of demand for The Window’s services. On any day of the week there are between 45-75 people served in the agency’s small lunch room. Members of the lunch crowd find a seat anywhere they can then go to work on their meal.
Yoder said the hot lunch may be the only food her customers get all day. For others it may be their only hot meal.
She told of two men who are living in their trucks. They eat at The Window during the weekdays and grab a lunch to go on Friday’s. They use those take-outs to tide them over on the weekends until the fresh coffee and hot meals are available again on Mondays.
On Thursday there was a steady flow of people lining up for Yoder’s spaghetti, vegetables, salad and a small paper cup full of strawberries. Several dozen donated cookies were snatched up quickly.
“Everything served today was donated,” Yoder said.
She rattled off a list of local businesses that routinely give food to the lunch program. The agency does purchase food and supplies when it has to.
J. Ed Swartley was shocked by the high demand for the free lunches.
“I was surprised by what they all do,” he said. “I did not know they served 45 to 75 people daily.”
Swartley will soon be well aware of all the services at The Window as he has been hired as the new executive director. With just a couple of days on the job he helped serve meals Thursday.
Swartley has quickly formed a positive opinion of the daily compassion showed by the staff.
“(They) have big hearts,” he said.
The unemployed
Since late October Kenny Wilkins of Goshen has often eaten at The Window. Oct. 28 is when Wilkins finished his sixth-month sentence in the county jail for non-payment of child support.
When he was released, the economy was well into its current nosedive. Wilkins looked for jobs through the temporary employment agencies.
“There was nothing happening there,” he said.
His last job was about two years ago at a factory in Goshen. That factory closed and he was not eligible for unemployment benefits.
“It sucks,” he said of the local job market. “I kind of got discouraged there for a minute, but I am going to go back out and try. My grandmother told me ‘You are only a failure if you don’t try.’”
Sitting on a chair in the front of the building waiting to use The Window’s free phone was Lonny Starr. He too has been unemployed for a long time. His immediate worry was how he was going to pay his weekly $100 rent.
“I need help by tomorrow (Friday) or I will be kicked out,” he said. “Then I will be calling one of these homeless shelters.”
He pointed to a list provided by The Window.
Starr said he worked a year ago at Noble Composites, but that job did not work out for him. Since then he has been doing odd jobs for people to keep some money in his pocket.
On Thursday, that was $10.
Local News
View of economic hardships quite clear at The Window
- Local News
-
-
Super Bowl fans warned about measles outbreak
East Coast fans who left the Super Bowl host city feeling good about Hoosier hospitality may have been exposed to something less welcome: The measles.
-
Toledo Symphony, Goshen College choirs in concert Feb. 19
The Toledo Symphony Orchestra and Goshen College choirs will come together under the direction of Grammy award-winning conductor and Goshen College alumnus Vance George for a Feb. 19 show.
-
'Seussical' debuts Friday
Joel Lininger is a 15-year-old boy. He’s also been Tom Sawyer and the King of Hearts. Currently, he’s The Cat in the Hat.
-
Student radio station up for national awards
The Goshen College radion station, WGCS, 91.1, The Globe, has been nominated for 15 broadcasting awards by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System.
-
Council bailout of housing authority not a done deal
Supporters of a $571,050 plan to bailout the Goshen Housing Authority and put the agency back on solid footing left Tuesday’s City Council meeting with new optimism, according to some people who attended the meeting.
-
Goshen winter guard members preparing for their big show
Members of the Goshen High School Winter Guard are working hard in preparation for their last regular season invitational. And that event will be a big one.
-
Police have suspects in theft of charity containers at Walmarts
According to a report by the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department, suspects in the recent thefts of donation containers at local Walmart stores have been identified.
-
Museum programs to focus on barns
Two events focusing on historic barns are planned at the Midwest Museum of American Art, 429 S. Main St., Elkhart:
-
New library rental fees set
The Middlebury Town Council amended the Middlebury Public Library's community room use policy Monday, with the primary change being an increase in rental fees for the library's three community rooms.
-
Local artists win at regionals
Five NorthWood High School students won at the 2012 Northwest Indiana & Lower Southwest Michigan Region of The Alliance for Young Writers & Artists.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Video of Ga. Man Who Killed Girl Released
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
