But the mission remains the same!
For years, volunteers from area churches – – collectively known as the Brookside Cluster of Churches — prepared and served a community meal on the last 2 Sundays of every month at Pearl Road United Methodist Church in Cleveland. This year, Pearl Road UMC is beginning a significant construction project so our meal has moved – and has a new name!
The Brookside Cluster of Churches is now using the kitchen and dining room/community room space in the school building for community meals. The campus has two parking lots and there is also street parking on Trowbridge Avenue. But while the location has changed, the mission remains the same — feeding our neighbors by providing hot, healthy meals served tableside.
More about the project: The community meal program is now housed in the Jones Building (3389 Fulton Rd, Cleveland), which is a 3-story school building on the campus of the former Blessed Sacrament parish, located at the corner of Fulton and Trowbridge in Cleveland’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood. The Blessed Sacrament parish was purchased from Cleveland’s Catholic diocese over 10 years ago by Bay Presbyterian Church. Today, that location includes Bridge City Church, a church plant from Bay Presbyterian and New Life at Calvary Church in Cleveland, along with The Wholeness Project, a new nonprofit organization that serves as the “landlord” agency for a number of other nonprofits that are based on the campus. These include The Bridge Avenue School and the Garden Christian Academy in the school building, Community Service Alliance, Feeding Souls and Hispanic Humadaop. More information about The Wholeness Project and these partner agencies on the campus can be found on their website: Campus — The Wholeness Project
Help prepare and serve a Community Meal. We team up with the Ridge Road UCC to serve a meal, tableside, for members of the community. We will prepare our portion of the meal at Brecksville UMC and take it to the Jones Building to serve. One church takes care of the entree, and the other brings dessert and salad. The meal begins with a devotion, then dinner is served. The whole event is very well organized and efficient!
How can you help?
This is a great opportunity for all generations to serve, and there are opportunities to help together or alone! You can volunteer for a few hours at home, at the church, at the Jones Building or at the grocery store. Here are some of the ways you can help:
1. Volunteer to plan the menu.
2. Shop for ingredients.
3. Help prepare the meal in our kitchen.
4. Be on the serving team at Pearl Road.
Catherine Vastartis has taken the lead on the project and can answer any questions. Contact the church office to get in touch with Catherine.
Upcoming Dates
Sunday January 25, 2026
Sunday March 22, 2026
We usually meet at Brecksville UMC at 3 pm and return to Brecksville around 6 pm.