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They call themselves the church ladies. Every Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon, a group of women prepares a meal for the homeless men, women and children in shelter at Cross Roads House (www.crossroadshouse.org).

MULTIMEDIA Video:  Church ladies serve homeless at Cross Roads

Brought together by their devotion to God (they all are members of the Christian Life Church in Eliot, Maine), Teresa Tozier, Angela Taddeo (sometimes with the help of her 14-year-old son Dominic), Marna Holmstrom and Allison Tidd show their faith through food. Last week, they chatted with Seacoast Connects while preparing a chicken/squash/zucchini casserole topped with bread crumbs on a bed of egg noodles, salads and rolls topped with melted butter, and for dessert — brownies, ice cream and Hershey’s kisses.

The women, all belonging to the appropriately named church group “Seeds of Faith,” are there for different reasons. For Teresa Tozier, who appears to be the unofficial leader of the group, it’s personal. God “changed her life” 17 years ago, but before that she was in trouble – drugs, marital strife and homelessness were not other people’s problems, they were her own. Ever since, she’s thanked her Lord for what she has, and made a pledge to always help others.

These ladies aren’t the only ones working the kitchen at Cross Roads. The shelter served 16,400 meals last year alone, most with the help of volunteer groups like this one. On weeknights, dinner is served in a tiny dining room (only 18 seats for up to 107 residents – the max) and prepared in railroad style kitchen, where the volunteers bump hips and excuse each other as they work in the cramped quarters. Many of the homeless are families, who are served a half-hour earlier than the individual residents. A 23-year-old single mother named Stephanie was the first to bring her kids over from their room for a meal the night we were there. McKayla, 6, and Courtney, 14 months, shared similar smiles and outgoing personalities. Courtney had just started walking that day. They were eating their dinner when we left, and the individuals (seemed to be mostly men) were massing in the hallway and outside, waiting for their turn.

I wondered if the church ladies felt any trepidation about this partnership with Cross Roads when they started five years ago. Political correctness dictates that we say we are comfortable around all people, no matter how different than us, but let’s be honest — charity work can sometimes be awkward. Maybe givers feel a sense of guilt for what they have and what other persons don’t. Maybe they are a little nervous around those who might seem a bit rough around the edges. I could have predicted the answer. While a couple of the women, after some prodding, admitted to feeling some nervousness when they began, they all insisted that now it’s all just routine in a day in the life of a volunteer. They are both business-like (they try not to get too personally involved — both for their own sakes and as a matter of Cross Roads policy for volunteers) and caring. Their comfort level with those they serve ensures dignity in a process that could be fraught for volunteers with less confidence.

Don’t forget to click on our video to meet the volunteers — and a few of Cross Road’s youngest residents. And if you’re interested in volunteering or making a donation to Cross Roads, visit their web site at www.crossroadshouse.org.