As I started the "Penny-a-Dish" cafeteria work, both in Fresno, California, and here in Indianapolis, Indiana, on my own initiative, and was conscious of a rather quizzical attitude on the part of many, I realize that not a few incline to look upon this type of work as a side line emphasized out of all proportion to its real value. As an aid to studying this question, perhaps my experience and resultant convictions could best be set forth in the form of a few questions and answers.
Does this welfare work save souls? Yes, and again yes! Fresno has had some of its large baptisms as a result of such work done there. More than one family has been brought to the knowledge of the truth as a direct result of the "Penny-a-Dish" welfare work. And do not think that only the poor have been fed physically as well as spiritually. This work reaches all classes as perhaps no other phase of our message does. We get into touch with people we cannot reach in any other way—at least I have not had such results in previous evangelistic work. Let me describe how we reach this class. A well-dressed woman entered our place to look us over. She was deeply impressed with what she saw, and expressed a desire to help in any capacity. We told her she could help our sisters serve behind the steam table. She came and had a wonderful time, she said. Our sisters, instructed beforehand about outsiders helping, made it pleasant for her. She began to ask, "What do you folk believe?" One of our Bible workers made an appointment to give Bible readings to her.
Thus we reach some who are not attracted to our evangelistic meetings. They are from the better classes who are interested in uplift work. Think of the thousands of well-to-do women who regularly devote much time to welfare work. They had never heard of us until we started our "Penny-a-Dish" cafeteria. Some of the finest people in .town have dropped in to see our place out of curiosity, and have gone away amazed that our church, small in number and without illustrious names, could do such a work. "It is marvelous; how do you do it?" they say. Perhaps they think we are doing more than we actually are.
Our cafeteria here in Indianapolis has been open just eighteen days. Have we won souls yet? Here is what has actually happened in this brief period. A young man of a good family, but out of work, is one of our bus boys. He receives Bible readings at our cafeteria. He desires to be one of us. Two women could not be baptized because their husbands would not permit them to join our church. These men had thought we were a group of religious fanatics. Then the husbands read about our cafeteria in the papers and investigated it. As a result their prejudice has been broken down. They have seen our work and are delighted. One shook my hand heartily and said, "You are doing a great work." Both of these sisters will be baptized this coming Sabbath.
I called to see one of the husbands the other night, and observed that at first he was ill at ease so I did not start out with a Bible reading immediately. His wife told me that her husband later said, "Well, your preacher is all right. I thought he would ask about my religion the first thing, but he didn't. He brought it in in a nice way. I like that." Now his attitude is friendly. This work has also brought some backsliders back to church. If these few things are worth while, then our venture pays in reaching men and women.
Does it not run the conference and church into debt? No, not if care is exercised in its management. There is no need to go into debt. The space allotted here is too limited to explain how to make it pay, but it does pay financially. Paradoxical as it may seem, it costs us about 8 cents to serve a 5 cent meal, and perhaps more. Thus we pay out more than we get in for food. The secret of our gain lies in the sale of tickets—of which about 25 per cent are never used—and in donations. It is a dull day when some one does not drop in and leave us a dollar or so. Our best day in the opening week was $12.95 in cash. Then one of the banks bought $25 worth of tickets, and the balance of the total receipts of $42 was donations. In seventeen days we have served 5,795 paid meals, 319 free meals, and have provided a score of baskets of food free. The cash receipts were $356.74 exclusive of ticket sales. Our food donations more than make up the difference. Later on our expenses will be less and our donations more. It is not a fortune maker; neither is it a losing investment. The conference here did not put in a single dollar; they lent us some of the equipment. That is all it cost them.
Of what value is it to the church? First, it provides an outlet for their missionary activities. It gets our members interested in people. They desire to see them in the truth, and so they talk about the Bible as they work. New recruits are always asking questions. Second, it saves the church much money in taking care of their own needy. In our Fresno work we estimated the church would have expended over $800 in doing the work we did to feed our own needy members. It also gives a small salary to three or four of our own members. We are feeding a dozen of our people here.
As a guide to those desiring definite information as to how the cafeteria was announced to the public, we herewith reproduce in miniature (except for the display type) the announcement card used in the Indianapolis cafeteria.
(See PDF)
What class of people does it reach? Not the down-and-out class. The soup and bread lines get them. We get a few, but not many. We get those who have not yet reached their last penny—men and women who have been on good salary, but are now out of work. They say our place is a godsend. We help them to keep their self-respect and give them courage. They thank God that some one cares for them. As one lady said with tears in her eyes, "Would to God that my church cared for me as much as you people do." Friendliness, a smile, and a square meal in a clean place for a few cents, enable them to go out to face life's battle with renewed faith.
Does it reach the rich? Yes, most assuredly. I have met the richest men and women of the city as a result of this work. True, I have not yet baptized any of them, but I have that hope before me. In securing our location, I met the leading men of Indianapolis. Two of them were so interested in our proposition that they kept several people waiting to see them while we discussed the matter of how many calories we could serve for five cents. One man who had just given thousands to the Community Chest Fund was the one who got us our vacant store, rent free. One of the leading millionaires of the city came in to see us upon my invitation, and was delighted. He came back next day, and his chauffeur brought in a load of groceries.
When the next Harvest Ingathering comes around, I have some friends who will listen to me with a sympathetic ear, I am sure. It has even helped in our Ingathering work this year.
Does it interfere with my work as evangelist? Some, of course, yet I feel I am assuredly doing the Lord's work. We have bound off an effort since we started this work, and 65 have already been baptized. This Sabbath twelve more await the solemn rite. So it certainly has not stopped my work of soul winning. I have two churches, two prayer meetings, two Sabbath school classes, the usual committee and pastoral work, and Sunday night meetings in the church. I cannot do all I want to do—I never did,—but I am surely busy, and I believe in the plan.
*Numerous inquiries have been made for rather detailed information as to the modus operandi of conducting the "Penny-a-Dish" cafeterias for the unemployed in these times when want stalks through the great cities, and welfare work has a properly prominent place in our operations. The effect upon the spiritual life of the church and the reaction upon evangelistic opportunity is here discussed by one who has successfully pioneered in this field, first in Fresno, California, and is just now in the midst of such work in Indianapolis, Indiana. Moreover, in the earlier experience his relation to it was that of conference president, and in the present case as a city pastor, these being the two angles of primary concern. The letter bringing this article bore the heading " 'Pennya-Dish' Cafeteria—OlArated by the Seventh-day Adventist Welfare Society" and listed the board of directors, with the conference president as president, the pastor as supervisor, a treasurer, and a manager. —Editors.
