Every Saturday morning, long before most alarms ring, a small army of volunteers gathers at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Kansas City, KS, with one mission: to feed the community with kindness & dignity.
The Saturday Breakfast Program at St. Paul’s launched 26 years ago under the leadership of Julie Marcus, a parishioner at St. Michael and All Angels, Mission, and the Rev. Alan Tilson, then Rector of St. Paul’s, Kansas City, KS. The ministry sought to provide meals to Kansas City’s most vulnerable, and has since become a weekly tradition of food and friendship. As event co-leader Cathy Jackson from St. Michael and All Angels, Mission, explains, “Julie noticed a lot of people just barely getting by with food, and she thought she could do something. And her legacy is what keeps us all going every Saturday.”
Through partnerships with Harvesters, KC Nourish, and donations from local grocers such as Price Chopper, volunteers now serve hot meals, offer bags of pantry items, and distribute fresh produce along with bakery treats to families across the metro.
But behind the logistics is a deeper story of connection.
“It’s a chance to step outside of your bubble,” says volunteer Sophia Stockton, who’s been showing up for morning shifts the past two years. “You meet people you wouldn’t normally cross paths with, and that moment, just listening, laughing, handing someone a warm plate—it grounds you.”
Sophia recalls one morning last winter that made a lasting impression:
“It was snow on the ground, we were out here still, and…you know, it was kind of eye-opening to see how many people still came, that didn’t have cars, that came up with little wagons, and they’re bundled up as best they could be… then you know that they really need these items, they really need this bit of help from whoever’s willing to give it.”
The breakfast program and food pantry, which transitioned to a drive-through format during the COVID-19 pandemic, now feeds nearly 300 people each week. Volunteers work in shifts: early risers prep the food beginning at 6:30 a.m., while others greet families and hand out meals between 8:30 and 11 a.m. The hot breakfasts are hearty and comforting—eggs, potatoes, the occasional surprise from the bakery aisle—and grocery bags provide much-needed essentials for the week ahead.
Cathy Jackson has seen the program evolve through the pandemic, shortages, and changing community needs. “It feels like hard work,” she says, “but very rewarding hard work. I feel like the need never goes away. And so it’s a little piece of passing on the abundance that my life has. I like to make sure that I feel like I’m giving just a little bit back.”
One of her most vivid memories involves an unexpected moment of support—what she calls her “SOS” or “Save Our Saturday” list:
“Today’s event was actually wondering whether I was going to have enough people and sending out a few notes about midweek… and people replied and said, yes, of course I can come. So today, I have no stress. There are plenty of helping hands, and that means everything’s going to be great.”
The team has also had to get creative in the face of rising food costs. At the height of the egg shortage, volunteers found themselves scrambling—sometimes literally—to meet the week’s goal of 30 dozen eggs, which is essential for feeding over 250 guests a hot breakfast. Cathy recalls that each volunteer would buy up what they could, and then improvise with extra milk, butter, and seasoning when the shelves ran bare. “Yeah, the egg shortage was fun,” she quipped, laughing about the kind of hard work that keeps the community fed.
And while the team serves fewer people today than in the past, Cathy’s concern reaches deeper than the numbers: “We had peaked at about 400 individuals being fed… and we have noticed in the last month we’re down about a hundred people… I think it’s because many, many of the people who come through are Spanish-speaking, possibly undocumented, and they’re just hiding out right now. I hope they’ll return. I don’t want this to be a place where they feel threatened.”
Despite these shifts, Cathy’s commitment is unwavering: “I feel so grateful, almost teary, that we made it through another Saturday, and everybody that came was fed. We don’t usually have any food left over, but when we do, we walk down the neighborhood and give it away, or we go down to the men’s mission down on Cherry Street downtown.”
For both Sophia and Cathy, the invitation to newcomers is simple and heartfelt. Whether you’re an early riser or someone looking to make the most of your afternoon, there’s a place for you.
“If you like to cook or if you’ve got knife skills, we would love to have you in the kitchen on a Saturday,” Cathy says. “But if you’ve never come before, come in and sample our food. Come and hand out some groceries. Greet people, and you’ll get lots of smiles. You’ll go away feeling good too. If you’ve never come, you’ll be hooked. All you have to do is show up.”
A Legacy of Service
In an interview with the Rev. Daniel Mafla, current Rector of St. Paul’s in Kansas City, KS, he shared that the Saturday Breakfast Program is just the latest chapter in St. Paul’s long history of outreach and compassion. Founded in 1857 by the Rev. Rodney Nash, the church has always been rooted in service. Nash not only led worship and raised funds for the parish, but also fed hungry Wyandot Indigenous people from the church’s garden and orchard. He and his wife even founded a school before public education was established—teaching everything from Greek and Latin to mathematics.
Over the decades, St. Paul’s has weathered financial crises, relocation, and citywide transformations. From the Rev. John Bennett’s leadership during Kansas City’s explosive growth in the 1880s, to the Rev. Carl Nau’s ambitious building projects in the 1920s, the parish has continually adapted to meet the needs of its community.
In more recent years, outreach has remained central. The Rev. Michael Sowan expanded the food pantry in the 1980s. The Rev. Alan Tilson helped launch the Saturday Breakfast Program in partnership with St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. And under the Rev. Ron Reed’s leadership, the pantry grew further as the parish celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2007.
From feeding neighbors with corn and apples in the 1850s to handing out hot breakfasts and grocery bags today, St. Paul’s has always been a place where compassion meets action. And every Saturday, that legacy continues—one plate, one smile, one helping hand at a time.
How You Can Help
Donate: Items such as eggs, bread, canned goods, produce, and hygiene products are always needed and welcomed.
Volunteer: Whether it’s food prep or distribution, there’s a role for everyone. Come once, or come often—you’ll be part of something meaningful.
Spread the Word: Share this story with your community, church, or workplace. Invite others to experience the impact firsthand. Saturday morning may be early, but the impact lasts all week.
Join St. Paul’s Food Ministry in making sure no neighbor is left behind. Visit the websites of St. Paul’s, KCK, or St. Michael’s, Mission to learn more and get involved.
Want To Hear More?
Watch the full interviews with Cathy Jackson & Sophia Stockton here:
by Jack Welker
835 SW Polk St.