With its motto, “It’s more than a meal…it’s belonging,” The Community Meal welcomed an estimated 200 to 300 diners for a free supper on Dec. 15 in Barrington.
The free-of-charge meal included spaghetti, meatballs, green salad, dessert and other fixings at Greencastle Manor in Barrington, 445 E. Main St.

From right to left, Aldonia Fisiak of Elgin and Sammie Samaryczew, 17, a Barrington High School senior from Lake Barrington, serve spaghetti at the Community Meal at Greencastle Manor in Barrington, 445 E. Main St. on Dec. 15, 2016. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc / for Chronicle Media)

The Thursday buffet meal included sponsorship support by First Church of Christ Scientist of Barrington. Desserts and paper goods were also donated by the church.
Local businesses helped to provide gift card support plus donations of bread and bagels.
The Barrington Children’s Choir performed and comfort dogs greeted diners welcoming the canine company. A pianist also played while volunteers wore festive holiday hats.
The Community Meal was started in 2009 by Mary Sandner, now of Caryn and a mom, when she was a student at Barrington High School.

From right to left, Aldonia Fisiak of Elgin and Sammie Samaryczew, 17, a Barrington High School senior from Lake Barrington, serve spaghetti at the Community Meal at Greencastle Manor in Barrington, 445 E. Main St. on Dec. 15, 2016. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc / for Chronicle Media)

“This year we fed upwards of 3,500 people,” said Sandner, who also said serving that number of people made her feel, “awesome and blessed. It’s a great community event,” she said.
In September 2011, The Community Meal became a 501 (c) (3) organization. Sandner credits volunteers and supporters who help to champion the power of a warm meal.
In the kitchen of Greencastle Manor, she said that warm meal is about, “Connection.
“You get to meet people that you would have never met before and they keep coming every month,” Sandner added.

From left to right, Isabella Pozdal, 10, of Inverness, Jillian Landry, 11, of Lake Zurich, Ella Hildebrand, 9, of Barrington, perform with the Barrington Chidren’s Choir at the Community Meal at Greencastle Manor in Barrington, 445 E. Main St. on Dec. 15, 2016. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc / for Chronicle Media)

“And they build friendships. They build relationships, they build community with each other,” Sandner said. “And that’s what’s important.”
During high school, Sandner worked at a Barrington grocery store where she gained awareness of need in the Barrington area by the people she came to know.
Today, The Community Meal has a regular calendar of meal service and a volunteer base that draws from beyond Barrington.
“It’s just a great feeling,” said Stu Overby of Lake Barrington.
“I think the people who volunteer get as much out of it as the people who attend. It’s a place to belong.” Overby said.
Sandy Hasse of Barrington is Sandner’s mother and coordinator of The Community Meal.
“The purpose is to get to know your neighbor, to build community, to build relationships,” Hasse said.
“It’s an old-fashioned idea, families used to sit around the table and talk and ask how your day was. But now we come together, community, churches, wherever we land and we get to know each other,” Hasse said. “And I think it’s really important for our world.”

Nancy Davis of Barrington is a volunteer talking with a diner at Greencastle Manor in Barrington, 445 E. Main St. on Dec. 15, 2016 during the Community Meal. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc / for Chronicle Media)

That Thursday, volunteers cut up vegetables in the kitchen, also managing six gallons of spaghetti sauce, 20 to 30 pounds of pasta and 10 pounds of green salad which did not including the veggie toppings and healthy add-ons.
“I think it’s wonderful to give back and I know people think Barrington doesn’t have a need, but it does have need,” said Jamie Ruggles of Barrington, a volunteer.
The Community Meal has a mission to show Christian hospitality.
Its published vision is, “The Community Meal is a living statement of who we are in Christ, how we treat one another, and how we serve one another,” according to the website at http://www.thecommunitymeal.org/about-us/.
Nancy Eisenhut of Barrington was a diner on Dec. 15.

Clarice the comfort dog visits with Nancy Eisenhut of Barrington at Greencastle Manor in Barrington, 445 E. Main St. on Dec. 15, 2016 during the Community Meal. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc / for Chronicle Media)

“It’s free and it’s friendship,” Eisenhut said. “A good way to meet people.”
Hasse agreed that conversation and meaningful shared experiences by guests such as Eisenhut round out The Community Meal’s calendar all year long.
“We find commonality here, “Hasse said. “That’s really the goal.”
The next The Community Meal is Jan. 12 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Palatine, 200 N. Plum Grove Road from 5 until 7 p.m.

Sandy Hasse of Barrington is a volunteer talking with a diner at Greencastle Manor in Barrington, 445 E. Main St. on Dec. 15, 2016 during the Community Meal. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc / for Chronicle Media)

On Jan. 26, Salem United Methodist Church at 115 W. Lincoln Ave. in Barrington will be the venue for the annual soup-a-thon from 5 until 7 p.m.
Save the dates too for Feb. 16, at St. Anne Catholic Church in Barrington (120 Ela St.) from 5 until 7 p.m.
The March 23 meal is at St. Paul United Church of

Christ, 401 E. Main St. in Barrington from 5 until 7 p.m.

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— Festive meal builds community in Barrington —