All are welcome inside these red doors: St. Augustine’s marks 30 years of feeding the community

Take a minute and consider Sept. 29, 1995. Who was born into this world between that autumn day and this one? Who has left it? What buildings, institutions and practices no longer exist? To be sure, you could pick any day on the calendar, repeat this exercise and be left with, at the very least, a fascinating data set. To say nothing of the memories, both sad and sublime, that would undoubtedly tumble forth.
It’s far too simple to note that a lot has changed since Sept. 29, 1995, a Friday just over the midway point of the 1990s, but perhaps there’s value in considering one thing that remains.
On Sept. 29,1995, the members of St. Augustine Episcopal Church in Rhinelander, known for its distinctive red doors, prepared a chicken dinner. It was the first of thousands of free community meals served in the Guild Hall at the end of every month.
According to Gail Bloom and Diane Willette, who have been involved since the beginning, the idea for the monthly meal was borrowed from a church in Whitewater. Willette was one of four people from St. Augustine’s to travel to Whitewater to observe what the southern Wisconsin church called The Gathering. The others were Carol Knops, Betty Helgeson and Barb Thompson, whose sister was a member of the Whitewater church.
“At that time our Rector was Father John Diggs, and the members of the church were trying to come up with some type of community outreach project that we could do,” Willette explained.

The group returned from Whitewater eager to start their own version and soon that first meal was organized.
It wasn’t long before others recognized the power of a simple meal.
Within two years, The Table received national recognition when Thompson and Willette traveled to Washington, D.C., in 1997 to accept the Jubilee Award from the Episcopal Church — a significant honor for a small-town church after only two years of operation. The program later received the Bearing the Torch award from the state of Wisconsin.
In its early years, The Table operated two nights per month, with various community groups taking turns providing meals. Churches, service organizations and local businesses — including Trinity Lutheran, Emmanuel Lutheran, St. Mary’s Catholic, the Kiwanis, Lions Club, local hospitals and the paper mill — all participated.
“All the churches, Trinity, Emmanuel, congregational, did it at one time,” Bloom said. “The Methodist, St Mary’s... we had the Kiwanis (Club), the (Rhinelander) Lions, the chiropractors even did it one time.”
At its peak, the program served up to 125 people in a single evening. Tables from Evergreen Manor and the Rhine Haus would bring residents for socialization as much as for the food.
The program evolved significantly over the years. Originally operating without a dishwasher — volunteers washed and sterilized everything by hand — the church gradually acquired better equipment, including a commercial refrigerator donated by a service group and a dishwasher purchased by a regular guest as part of a unique court-ordered restitution.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, The Table adapted by adding home deliveries, a service that continues for those unable to attend in person. Today, volunteers deliver approximately 20 meals each month, while another 40 to 60 people dine on-site.
“This is meant to have a family atmosphere,” Bloom recalled of Thompson’s vision. “Anyone is welcome for any reason... participants have an opportunity to socialize.”
Rev. Meredyth Albright, the current rector of St. Augustine emphasized the continued importance of that fellowship aspect, noting that volunteers sitting and dining with guests has led to discovering unmet needs in the community — from fans for elderly residents without air conditioning to a refrigerator for someone going without.
The program has adapted to changing community needs. While other meal programs and food pantries have emerged in Rhinelander over the past three decades — including the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry and Ruby’s Pantry — the monthly gathering continues to serve both those experiencing food insecurity and others simply seeking connection.
The special 30th anniversary celebration, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, featured special table settings with napkins folded into bishop’s miters, commemorative keychains made by a church member with a 3D printer, and anniversary cakes for both on-site diners and delivery recipients.
Albright offered a special prayer and formally recognized the members of the “initial guiding team” which, in addition to Thompson, Bloom, Willette, Helgeson and Knops,included Fr. Biggs and Marcia Biggs.
Many of the servers were wearing T-shirts depicting the church’s famous entryway and the words “all are welcome inside these red doors.”
For Willette and Bloom, the last surviving members of that original trip to Whitewater in 1995, the longevity of The Table represents something rare in modern community life.
“It’s pretty amazing for 30 years, because these days, things don’t last very long,” Bloom reflected. “Not just appliances, but ministries don’t last very long.”
The Table continues to welcome volunteers and community groups interested in providing monthly meals. More information is available through St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church.