A Seat for Everyone: A New Year’s Meal Served with Dignity by SVdP
When Meghan McKern joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) in Chicago, she wasn’t sure how she could help. As a fine dining chef with years of experience in Michelin-starred restaurants, she wondered how her skills fit into the hands-on, person-to-person service that defines Vincentian work.
“I’m not an academic,” she said. “But I’m a laborer. I wanted to do something real. I just didn’t know what.”
That changed after a simple moment — loading a car with donated supplies alongside Pam Matambanadzo, President of the Mary, Mother of God SVdP Conference in Chicago.
“She told me, ‘Everyone brings their talents. You just need to do whatever you’re comfortable with,’” Meghan said. “That opened the door.”
Together, they began to imagine what it could look like to offer not just a meal — but an experience rooted in dignity, community, and celebration. That conversation sparked A Seat for Everyone, a special New Year’s Eve dinner co-hosted with St. Thomas of Canterbury Soup Kitchen for about 100 guests, many of whom were experiencing homelessness. This is just a small fraction of about 5 million vulnerable individuals that SVdP serves per year.
Pam and Meghan didn’t want to serve just any meal. The goal was to create an experience that reflected a family-style holiday meal. With Meghan’s culinary background, she created a menu featuring braised beef, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn, and carrots slow-cooked in the pan gravy. Dessert? Costco cake — at the special request of one of the regular soup kitchen volunteers.
The dining room was transformed. Balloon arches framed the entrance. Tables were covered in cloths and adorned with handmade centerpieces. Volunteers served the meal, plated with care, rather than handing out food in containers.
“For a lot of folks we served, New Year’s Eve used to be a time to gather, celebrate, dress up, go out,” said Pam. “Now, for many, it’s about survival — figuring out where they’ll sleep, how to stay warm. This night gave them a memory. A moment of joy and normalcy.”
Each guest also received a hoodie designed with original artwork by the parish pastor and sponsored by parishioners for $35. The garments were a gesture of warmth and welcome during the coldest time of year.
“There was one man who came in and just kept asking, ‘Is this really for us?’” Pam said. “He said, ‘Thank you for seeing us.’ That stayed with me.”
For Meghan, the night was transformative — not just for the guests, but for herself.
“Planning the dinner brought me back to my faith,” she said. “I realized I didn’t have to be perfect. I just had to show up. God would carry the rest.”
She spent most of the night in the kitchen, rotating dishes, checking trays, and making sure everything came out just right. Though she didn’t see many reactions firsthand, she heard stories in the days that followed about how the guests had felt honored, how the soup kitchen volunteers welcomed the collaboration, and how people kept asking when it would happen again.
Meghan remembers one helper in particular.
“I put a message out on the Nextdoor app asking for help,” she said. “Jess responded without asking for details — she just said yes and showed up.”
Meghan called her “a little angel.” Jess became her sous chef for the night, helping to prep and serve food throughout the evening. The two bonded over the experience, discovered they lived on the same street, and have since become friends.
“I think the Spirit was present,” Meghan said. “We were trying to serve others with care and intention, but we were also sitting at that table ourselves. It wasn’t us and them — it was just us.”
Plans are already underway to bring A Seat for Everyone back for Thanksgiving.
“Meals like this remind us what Catholic social teaching looks like in practice,” said Pam. “It’s not just about feeding people — it’s about reminding them they matter.”
