The Station: Providing Love and Care, One Meal at a Time

When Imran Duplessis needs a hearty breakfast and a quiet place to think and plan, he knows that's exactly what The Station can give him. Offering breakfasts every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and following a worship service on Saturdays, the program's goal is simple: provide services, like meals, to transient residents in the area. For Duplessis, one of those transients, The Station is a safe place. "This place is like a shelter in the middle of a lot of stuff going on," said Duplessis, who discovered the program after becoming homeless several months ago. "This place is sort of like a haven, where I can come, have a good meal, have nice people serve me, sit down for a while and think and plan for the day." Breakfast is what provides him strength, Duplessis explained. "Coming here and being able to eat this healthy food, sit down for a while and then hit the road, it really helps in my own quest for upward mobility," he said. The breakfast program is operated by The Station, a subsection of Loma Linda University Church's community service outreach program called UReach. The Station was established about three years ago to provide community services to residents in the Loma Linda area and expanded about a year and a half ago to provide breakfasts to those in need, explained Mellissa Rouhe, a breakfast program co-coordinator and The Station's director of education. The breakfast program grew out of humble beginnings; today it serves between 25 and 35 meals daily-a far cry from the five or six meals it served each day three years ago. Over the years, Rouhe estimated a total 4,000 meals have been served. "We have gotten to know this community and we really enjoyed being able to meet them and serve them. It's been a real privilege for us," Rouhe shared, just as dozens finished their breakfasts the morning of April 13. "It's a very needy population that we have really come to love, and we have gotten a good relationship with them." Along with the breakfasts, those in need are welcome to take home boxes of food, most of it donated by The Station's volunteers. Other portions of food are purchased through an endowed fund for food and supplies provided by UReach's General Conference. The hope, Rouhe shared, is to expand the services The Station can provide to those in need, or "increase the footprint here," as Rouhe called it. Prospective expanded services could include bathing and laundry services, as well as a larger facility one day. Currently, the program takes place on the Loma Linda University campus, and Rouhe said the hope is also to continue the program's relationship both with the university and with the City of Loma Linda to provide their current services and more. And there's never too many helping hands - especially male volunteers. "We are looking for more male volunteers, because our largest population that we serve is male," said Rouhe. "They can answer questions and it provides safety, as well. There's a presence that we feel is important, to have male volunteers." Expanded services could help those who come to The Station, like Duplessis, whose situation is made more difficult for the fact that he is undocumented. Unable to find work, what Duplessis called his idea of "upward mobility" was hindered, because he is prevented from a stable income to finance housing, transportation and an education - his biggest goal. "Education would make me more marketable and pay me well and give me a big stage to serve others," said Duplessis. Originally from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, he's been living in the United States for four years, three of them spent in Southern California. But being an immigrant, education is up to five times more costly for Duplessis, who also does not qualify for government-issued financial aid. A sponsor, someone who can pay for a semester or two of schooling, would be most beneficial to him. Another important aspect of the breakfast program is its spiritual impact it has on those it serves. "The reason we do this is so that they know that we really care about them in a way that provides for their needs," said Rouhe. Breakfasts for the homeless are available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 24891 Redlands Boulevard in Loma Linda. Morning worship services are also provided Saturdays prior to the breakfast. Those interested in volunteering their time may contact The Station at 909-796-5300.