Dining hall atmosphere upgraded

By Kalea Hall | May 12, 2016 at 12:05a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Wayne Murray wanted to make the dining hall he runs look like home to the hundreds it serves daily.

“I wanted this to feel like a safe haven,” said Murray, dining-hall manager.

He wanted the coffee crowd that comes about 6 a.m. to the St. Vincent de Paul Society dining hall at 208 W. Front St. to feel warmed not just by the coffee, but by the atmosphere.

For the lunch crowd, he wanted to offer more than just a warm meal.

With help from the community and donations, Murray and other leaders at St. Vincent have brightened the dining hall with a fresh coat of cream-colored paint, some new wall hangings and wall quotes.

“The way I look at it, this is just the beginning, and I want to continue to do more improvements,” Murray said.

The Lord’s Prayer is now a centerpiece on one of the walls at St. Vincent’s dining hall, a new clock has been put up and words such as “bon app tit” are placed on the walls throughout the dining hall. New chairs and other decor items are to come.

To recognize the recent changes made at the dining hall, there will be a blessing ceremony in the near future.

St. Vincent de Paul Society has had a presence in the Mahoning Valley for more than 100 years.

In February 1873, the St. Vincent de Paul Society became a part of the Cleveland Diocese and that same month, five members of St. Columba Cathedral in Youngstown organized a St. Vincent parish conference.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization inspired by gospel values, leads “Vincentians” to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering, according to the National Council of the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Today, there are 22 Catholic parishes in the area that provide volunteers to the Mahoning County Society of St. Vincent de Paul dining hall and food pantry operations.

In April, St. Vincent de Paul’s food pantry gave out 203 boxes of food and the dining hall served 5,699 meals.

Murray gets to the dining hall before 6 a.m. every day to open the door for the coffee crowd. Lunch starts at 10:30 a.m. and ends at noon. Some days there are upward of 200 people served lunch.

“Things are going really good,” Murray said.

Murray has been the dining-hall manager since December. He took over after Ralph “Skip” Barone resigned as manager.

Barone’s resignation was followed by a short shutdown at the dining hall after several volunteers left with Barone.

Many were distraught over the former leadership of Brian Antal, the society president at the time. Antal later resigned, but the kitchen has gone on to continue serving meals to those in need.

“We have been in Youngstown since 1873, and we aren’t going anywhere,” said Jim Doran, executive director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Inc. of Northeastern Ohio.

Doran has been the executive director, a new position, since mid-April. He is a former program manager for Catholic Charities and co-managed the dining hall for six months back in the early 2000s.

“We are called to aid our brothers and sisters,” Doran said. “It’s just a wonderful job to have.”