Serving Up Dignity With Herrin House of Hope
In our local Herrin community sits a pay-what-you-can restaurant staffed by spirited volunteers who serve delicious food and dignity to those in need. Herrin House of Hope is a ministry founded in September 2013 by the Herrin Ministerial Alliance. Volkswagen of Marion and Ike Honda were thrilled to work with Herrin House of Hope as part of our Ike Gives program. With this initiative, we provide local charities with a platform to spread their mission and a monetary donation. We met with John Steve, Director of Herrin House of Hope, to learn more about the ministry’s mission and services and how our community can help support them.
The Herrin House of Hope ministry provides several amazing services to our community, the most notable being their soup kitchen. Herrin House of Hope’s soup kitchen was the first to operate as a restaurant-style kitchen. The kitchen is fitted with everything you’d expect of a restaurant: a dining room, menus on the wall, entrees to choose between, and servers who are volunteers from our local community. Once patrons find their seats, they are acknowledged by a server who introduces themself, announces what’s on the menu, and takes the patron’s order. Recent choices have included traditional spaghetti or chicken alfredo with garlic bread, and baked chicken or pork loin with mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and corn. What makes Herrin House of Hope special is that the doors are open to all. “We sometimes overcook. Anyone can dine in; you don’t have to be in need. Businesses can bring their employees for lunch or team bonding. There is a donation jar if they feel led to donate,” explained John.
Herrin House of Hope’s mission is to serve with dignity. When asked what inspired the cause, John explained, “We believe in giving people two choices with their entree and menu because we want people to know no matter what you’re going through, no matter what obstacles, challenges, or barriers you’re facing, whether it’s addiction or an abusive relationship or what not, we want to let you know at the end of the day you still have that second choice to break those chains and be set free.”
If you’d like to dine at Herrin House of Hope, the kitchen is open Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 1 PM. The menu is announced daily on their Facebook page. To support the kitchen at Herrin House of Hope, you can eat with them, pray for their team, volunteer, share the word, or sponsor a day of meals, explained John Steve. $21 per month or a $250 one-time donation covers one day of a meal for the operation.
Beyond the soup kitchen, Herrin House of Hope also successfully runs a food pantry, a thrift store, a summer meal program for children under 18, and free GED classes onsite from John A Lochan Community College. The success of the ministry is made possible by motivated volunteers. “I’m thankful for our team, who are very dedicated, very loyal. We’re always looking for more individuals in the community to jump on board and be part of that team,” said John. To be part of Herrin House of Hope’s mission, call 618-942-9500.
At Volkswagen of Marion and Ike Honda, we’re just as passionate about our local community as we are about cars. We’re pleased to be spreading Herrin House of Hope’s mission and supporting their organization with a donation of $1,240.
When everyone partners together to improve our community, we can increase the amount of impact that we have in the area. That is the motivation driving Volkswagen of Marion and Ike Honda to support as many local charities as possible through our Ike Gives program. To help us find more worthy organizations to support, complete our Suggest a Charity form. To support our current Ike Gives nominees, visit either dealership and use a wooden nickel to vote for which organizations you want us to support. No purchase is necessary.
