HAINEBERG, Germany – U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden’s Religious Services Office is welcoming newcomers with a weekly meal at the Wiesbaden Army Lodge, offering a chance for community building over fresh, homemade foods.
As part of the Wilkommen Wagon initiative, every Wednesday through the months of July and August, RSO will offer home-cooked meals to new community members at the Army Lodge starting at 5:30 p.m.
“Our chapel communities know how challenging it can be to provide healthy and fresh food for a family while in Army Lodging for an extended period of time,” said Dr. Rebecca Fisher, Director of Religious Education and event coordinator.
“It’s a human connection with people who have been in their shoes with no hurry, no rush (and no Powerpoint slides),” she said of the meals.
The meals are prepared by volunteers from across various chapel communities and auxiliary groups within the Wiesbaden community, to include the Catholic Women of the Chapel, Traditional Protestant Service, Cross Roads, the Catholic Community, Protestant Women of the Chapel, Gospel Community, and the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The meals give newcomers a chance to share a meal and fellowship, something that isn't religious, but simply a way to help them feel welcome in the community.
“It's open to all members of the community. Everyone can come. It doesn't matter what your beliefs are,” said volunteer project coordinator Meghan Barkley.“Even though it's hosted by the chapel, it's more set on welcoming the community as a whole. And we just want everybody to know they're welcome here in Wiesbaden.”
“If you are staying at the Lodge or staying elsewhere on the economy and you are waiting for housing to open, this is for you,” said Fisher,” and come hungry. The menu varies weekly so it’s an adventure, but each meal is designed with the Lodge dwellers in mind.”
Over the course of the next few weeks, a different group will host a themed meal every Wednesday. Kid-friendly options are always available.
For the first Wilkommen Wagonevent, the Catholic Women at the Chapel prepared a Taco Bar, fruit and sorbet for dessert.
“Our goal was no catering. We want everything made from home, or they prepare it at the chapel, and these women have been working all day long to prepare this meal,” said Barkley.
Transition can be difficult for those coming from a previous duty location or for civilians arriving without knowing what to expect.
"This is very near and dear to my heart. Because as Soldiers, we often PCS, and you're going into unknown territory. Sometimes you can be in the hotel for two weeks or more, trying to understand the area, the environment, new foods... and sometimes you just want a home-cooked meal," explained U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Command Sgt. Maj. Andre Brown. "We realized this was a way that we can reach out to our newcomers and make them feel at home, make them feel welcome, and let them know that we understand their plight of PCSing, coming to the unknown, but being able to feel at home."
Brown noted that not all families have vehicles when they first arrive, so hosting the meals at the lodge brings the food directly to them, “simply meeting families where they are”.
Newcomers like Lt. Col. William Gumabone, who just PCSed from South Korea, and Maj. Kei Cooper, who recently arrived from Charlottesville, Virginia, said the meals not only ease the stress of settling in but also give families a welcoming space to build community and connect with others going through the same transition.
“I think this is a great opportunity. We're just getting over our jet lag, and right now we're hearing we may spend about 30 days in lodging, so having a home-cooked meal takes a lot of stress off, especially trying to feed a family of five,” said Gumabone.
“But it's also a great opportunity. With so many of us being brand new to this community, we actually get to break bread together and meet other people going through the same thing,” said Gumabone, “And it’s not only just meeting people, but this really sets the tone for how welcoming this community is, and it makes a big difference in making us enjoy this new duty station.”
Cooper and his family shared that sentiment.
“We're coming from Charlottesville, Virginia, and have been here for a week,” explained Cooper. “We're definitely happy to have a home-cooked meal. Moving has been stressful and we're just happy to try to build community. It's been nice meeting other people, other families who are doing this too, and meeting folks who are already here and embracing us as we start this journey.”
In total 175 plates were served on the first evening. The next meal, on July 15, will offer pulled pork sandwiches, pasta and vegetable salad, a BBQ baked bean dish, Italian ice cream and grapes.
The welcome meals are funded through chapel members donations and executed through RSO volunteers with the support of the RSO Non-Commissioned Officer team.
People interested in supporting or volunteering for this event can reach out to the USAG Wiesbaden Religious Support Office: (https://home.army.mil/wiesbaden/about/garrison/rso) .