Before the Doors Open: The Heart Behind Nearly Half a Million Meals

(Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities)

Before the first guest steps into the dining room, before the clatter of utensils, the hum of conversation and the warmth of a shared meal, quiet, holy preparation takes place in the kitchen at Samaritan House Fort Collins, a shelter for women and families experiencing homelessness.

The lights flick on early as Terry, the kitchen supervisor, ties her apron and checks the day’s plan. The ovens warm, a pot simmers on the stove and her team of three begins brewing coffee, chopping, cooking and quietly getting ready for the people they will serve. This moment before the doors open happens every day, even if most people never see it.

December 2025 marks 10 years of service for Terry, who has helped prepare an estimated 500,000 meals during her time at Samaritan House. When she started, she was the only kitchen staff member. Today, she leads a close-knit team that shares her belief that food is more than just nourishment; it is a symbol of dignity and welcome.

Over the past decade, Terry has watched the kitchen evolve and transform. From serving public lunches to now primarily preparing meals for women and families, she has adapted through each season of change, including the challenges of COVID-19, when the team switched to paper plates, disposable bowls and reimagined meal service to keep guests safe.

Terry prefers to let her work speak for itself, but she recently reflected on what she has learned over the past 10 years.

“Everything changes, and you have to be ready for it,” she said.

Much of the love that goes into every plate goes unseen. It includes:

• Planning meals around what arrives from the food bank each week.

• Building relationships with local businesses for food donations.

• Accommodating dietary needs with care and attention.

• Training new volunteers and helping them feel at home.

• Adjusting menus with creativity when donations change.

During Advent and the holidays, that quiet work becomes even more joyful and more demanding. The kitchen becomes the center of celebration: preparing the Thanksgiving meal, coordinating with an influx of volunteers, assembling ready-to-heat Christmas meals for homebound seniors, and helping provide food for holiday parties, cocoa-and-carols gatherings, and other celebrations in Northern Colorado.

Terry may be the one planning each meal and keeping the kitchen humming, but she is never doing it alone. Because donors keep the pantry stocked, volunteers step in with open hearts and staff serve faithfully beside her, every warm meal becomes something made possible by people like you.

Just as Christmas is an invitation to prepare room to welcome Christ, Terry and her team prepare room at the table to welcome each guest who walks through the doors at Samaritan House Fort Collins. In every plate they serve, your generosity becomes a visible sign of hope.