by: Seth Collett
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebrates the civil rights leader’s life and legacy. But for a group of volunteers, this day, January 20, 2020, was not a day off, but rather a day on. Members of LNW Hospitality, LNWA, Arbor Management, and the Axia Hotel Group used the opportunity to serve others at the Middletown soup kitchen, Our Daily Bread.
“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
Formed in 2008, Our Daily Bread utilizes donations from businesses and religious organizations to cook and serve food to the less privileged residents of Middletown. The organization serves their guests, as they sit at tables, creating a warm and hospitable atmosphere. Whether they are homeless looking for a momentary escape from hardship, or single mothers and their children when it’s difficult to make ends meet, all are welcome at Our Daily Bread .
Fourteen employees of LNW Hospitality, LNWA, Arbor Management, and the Axia Hotel Group donned non-slip shoes and got to work chopping onions, greeting and serving guests, and washing dishes. Big smiles, lots of laughs, and the smell of good food filled the dining room as residents from all over Middletown trickled in. On the menu was homemade baked chicken Parmesan, spaghetti with marinara sauce, and Caesar salad.
All in all, twenty-five meals were served, in addition to the donation of unused food items. Many guests complemented the quality of service, and the Our Daily Bread Director, Betsy Cave, even said “This is one of the hardest working groups of volunteers we’ve ever had.”
All of the companies involved in this day have a long-standing tradition of community service, as well as a presence in Delaware. LNWA and Arbor Management have been in Middletown for more than 30 years, owning and managing two apartment complexes. Members of LNWA also created the Leon N. Weiner Education Foundation, which provides educational assistance to children and adults in families with low to moderate incomes to help them achieve their highest potential and become confident, accomplished, fulfilled individuals and productive members of society. The Axia Hotel Group has contributed to numerous important causes in Delaware and owns and operates the Hampton Inn & Suites in town. Axia and LNW Hospitality have teamed up to create the new Fairfield by Marriott in town.
