OLEAN — For now more than 50 years, the Warming House has stood as a place of gathering and community for those in the Olean area. As a completely student-run soup kitchen, it is a place where the food insecure can find nourishment from a warm meal, those longing for compassion can find community, and where all are free from judgement and shown dignity.

I am currently a graduate student at St. Bonaventure University and have served as a meal coordinator for the past three years during my academic career. This is a place where I have not only learned about the value of providing a hot meal for someone who needs it, but also about compassionate service and the values of presence and the human connection.

The thing that makes the Warming House so special is the ability to bring together so many different walks of life. We operate thanks to our meal coordinators, who are students at St. Bonaventure, but also student and community volunteers. Whenever I talk about the Warming House with someone, I tell them that it truly mends the “Bona Bubble” with the greater Olean community. Generations of students before me have given their time and heart to this place, just as I have, and so many more will continue to do so. The Warming House is a constant reminder to us all how service can bring together a community and how small, consistent acts can leave a lasting impact.

While working at the Warming House there have been little instances where I have truly seen how impactful the work is that we do. More often than not, after the guests have enjoyed their meal and time with one another, they say goodbye and offer a thank you to the meal coordinators on their way out. One time an individual came up to me and another coordinator and said, “thank you so much for the meal, if it wasn’t for you all we wouldn’t have anything to eat.” This is when it truly hit me. The work that we do truly fills a need for the community around us.

There have been many times where I have noticed many of these guests do not just come for the food, but for the sense of community. At the Warming House, we do not ask any qualifying questions, so anybody is free to get a meal. Some of our guests have food in their cupboards but just come to talk with the other guests and the students. The Warming House is so much more than a soup kitchen. It is a place where friendships are formed, and communities are created.

The Warming House operates entirely through the generosity of others through grants, donations, and the ongoing support of United Way and many other organizations and individuals. This support is what keeps our doors open, our kitchen stocked, and our mission alive. We are deeply grateful for every contribution, which allows us to continue offering meals, community, and hope to those who need it most.