Four MU students from the Newman Center enter the Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen. They need to fill 40 hungry stomachs in an hour’s time but have no idea what to make. Although it is their first time in the kitchen, they don’t show any hint of nervousness.

Their only direction comes from a piece of notebook paper resting on the table. “There are cans of chili under the table. If you heat four to six of them, that should do the trick. Also, you will find plenty of corn bread on the shelf. Good luck.”

Everyday from 4 to 6 p.m., volunteers from different Columbia religious organizations turn canned food and frozen leftovers into meals for the homeless. The soup kitchen operates out of a one-bedroom apartment at 616 Park St. in Columbia’s First Ward.

Honora Kinsella, Angela Wee, Emilia Mense and Robert Perez follow the suggestion and immediately take control of the kitchen. Kinsella grabs a spatula with two hands and begins brewing her chili potion. Perez searches for a knife to cut the sheets of corn bread. After some confusion, he realizes the cutlery has an unorthodox home in the rusty third drawer of a Craftsman tool chest. Wee raids the refrigerator in search of salad ingredients. Leftover lettuce and a bag of spinach leaves aren’t ideal, but they have to work.

Signs on the walls warn volunteers that “With any luck, we won’t have any more grease trap flooding problems and gas leak issues.” The team thrives despite the challenging conditions of the kitchen.

They dodge splashes of chili sauce and discuss correct proportions for cutting the homemade corn bread. “My mommy makes really good corn bread, and that’s how she cuts it,” Kinsella said. They agree on 4-inch squares.

By 4:45, the chili bubbles and the salad sits ready to be tossed. While Mense arranges the well-crafted meal in a buffet line, the dining room comes alive with anticipation and conversation.

Gary Kelley, a self-proclaimed “ambassador from heaven,” is an overpowering voice among the masses. He discusses his mixed emotions about the soup kitchen with whoever takes the time to listen. Kelley, 67, has been homeless off and on since he was 20. He explains that although these volunteers might have a good heart, they don’t have the brains to go with it.

“They need to be willing to spend more money and time to prepare nourishing meals to help get people on their feet,” Kelley said. “Otherwise they are coddling us and making us into professional beggars.” His mixed emotions bring mixed reactions.

One man, Kevin, said he has heard it all before. He walks outside to avoid the conversation. This doesn’t phase Kelley. His animated language is soon accompanied by animated antics. While discussing the lack of nutrition in the food he is served everyday, Kelley pulls his false teeth out and shakes them. “People can’t chew this food because they are serving things that cause our hair, teeth and guts to fall out.”

As he continues his critique, the volunteers begin serving seconds. “Please” and “thank you” follows every plate that Wee served. Russel, a 45-year-old construction worker, grabs his second bowl of chili and sits down with friends and discusses the community’s suppression of the homeless.

Words like “humanity,” “harassment” and “compassion” flew from table to table. Russel said Columbia’s community needs to be respectful and caring towards the homeless or they will wind up in jail or freezing on the streets. Others at the table confirm his words.

With the chili running low and the clock approaching closing time, an angelic voice approaches the volunteers singing “God will do what he said he’s gonna do, he will stand by his word.…”

It is Monte Warren, and he is celebrating. He has just found out he got a job at Hardee’s and is ecstatic to start working his way out of homelessness. Although the food at Loaves and Fishes is always free, Warren pays for his meal with song. After covering Stevie Wonder‘s “Very Superstitious,” Warren shakes each volunteer’s hand and looks directly into their eyes with gratitude. “When I get my stuff together, I’m gonna do the same thing you all are doing,” Warren said.