Lewiston woman opens warming center, honored by UMC

By Brenda Smotherman

LEWISTON — Pat Gardiner of Calvary United Methodist Church is a welcoming soul who works tirelessly to ensure people’s needs are met.
“I spent many years working at restaurants waitressing, hosting, etc., but at that time I didn’t know what God was getting me ready to do,” she says.
Gardiner, who leads the church’s City Mission meals program, has also partnered with her church to launch a warming center, identifying a need in the community.

The meals program is available to members, the homeless, families and individuals, from the neighborhood and beyond. It serves two free meals a week, year-round — dinner on Wednesdays and breakfast on Sundays.
The food ministry welcomes between 40 and 75 guests for each meal, all abiding by a single requirement — good behavior.
“Our place is a little different from some soup kitchens as we’ve worked hard to make a type of family style restaurant,” says Gardiner. “People come in who have been eating out of dumpsters. I make the main course from scratch and offer a nice, healthy meal for them as if they’re eating at home or at a friend’s house.” Gardiner says she’s inspired by the Bible’s writing of Jesus’s instruction to “feed my sheep,” and with the help of the Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine she does that.
“I have discovered that I love cooking for crowds. It’s a very creative thing,” she says. “Based on what we have and what I foresee coming, I plan a menu for the entire month. I’ve really gotten it down to a science.”
Four days a week, she engages with the program. Outside of menu planning, Gardiner orders and delivers food and handles prep work for and cooks each meal. To ease the workload, other volunteers join in the food delivery, final food preparation, service and clean-up.
Sherry Beck-Poland, City Mission’s treasurer, says Gardiner “provides a meal, a smile and a hug, as needed. She quietly serves the Lord and the Lord’s people.”
A good steward of resources, she mindfully avoids running short on food while ensuring minimal to no waste. In fact, the leftovers from breakfast often benefit those finding respite from storms within the same dining room that serves as a warming center on cold and rainy Sunday afternoons.
“Our warming center got started because two single moms with small children, who had been living at a local shelter, told me one Sunday at breakfast that the previous rainy and windy Sunday they had spent the afternoon with their kids in a parking garage because the shelter is closed during the day and so are libraries, etc. I proposed opening a Sunday afternoon warming center during the winter months when nothing else is open for homeless folks.” Now the program is an active part of Calvary UMC’s ministry. Although the warming center officially closes once the weather heats up, Gardiner often opens the doors to welcome people during severe rain and extreme heat.
“They have snacks, drinks, games and books available,” she said. “People come in, eat, and fall asleep because they feel comfortable and safe.” Gardiner humbly states that “it’s not a huge thing.” However, the center she birthed offers a much needed service for the people entering its doors.
Her other church-related endeavors have included a United Methodist Women rummage sale supporting mission outreach, care of Calvary UMC’s property, and representation of the church at community events.
Gardiner serves the greater community by volunteering twice a week as a companion at Lewiston’s The Center for Wisdom’s Women.
“I’m a listening presence offering calm and encouragement,” she says. “We accompany women where they are in their lives, good or bad, being people they can rely on.”
In 2015, Gardiner was recognized by The Maine Commission for Community Service’s volunteer foundation receiving a Governor’s Award certificate and recognition on the Maine Volunteer Roll of Honor for completing more than 500 hours of volunteer work for the center. According to VolunteerMaine.com, the state’s average adult volunteer serves for 37 hours annually; so when coupled with her church volunteerism, she continually proves she is willing to go above and beyond the norm to help others.
“I just try to be present for whoever needs a sympathetic ear, whether at church or at the women’s center. My ministry is mostly just showing up regularly and doing what I can,” she adds.

Brenda Smotherman is a senior public relations specialist with United Methodist Communications. She can be reached at 207-615-742-5488 or BSMOTHERMAN@UMCOM.ORG

PHOTO: Pat Gardiner. (Submitted photo)