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Restaurateur makes difference for homeless at Thanksgiving

A UMNS photo by Ronny Perry Restaurant owner Sam Lee serves meals to the homeless in Nashville.

By Lilla Marigza*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Sam Lee is living the American dream.

He came to the United States five years ago from Seoul, South Korea, to study at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. He now owns Khan’s Mongolian BBQ in downtown Nashville.

More than being a successful businessman, he is an example of how one person can make a difference in the lives of hundreds of people in need.

Since his first day in business, Lee has been helping the city’s less fortunate. “The first customer was homeless and he asked me, ?Could you give me a cup of coffee?,’” Lee recalls. “At the time, I worried about my business so I asked him ? ?This is my first day of business, please go somewhere else.’”

A UMNS photo by Ronny Perry Homeless people, like this unidentified Nashville man, say they look forward to the friendship of the church members who serve meals each Thursday.

He was inspired by the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. “He (Jesus) said, ?You should do like I do,’” Lee says.

On a rainy Friday last year, Lee cooked meals and took them to a downtown park where homeless people gather. He prepared 20 servings for the people in the park.

“I told them, ?Jesus loves you.’” Lee says. He also wrote his message on each Styrofoam takeout box, along with the reference, “John 3:16.”

Every Friday for months, Lee would bring his boxed meals to the park until the crowd he served grew too big for one man to manage. “There is more and more people coming, so there is lots of mess in (the) park. So maybe residents near park, they don’t like. So the police come in there and talk about the problem.”

A UMNS photo by Ronny Perry Members of two Nashville churches help Sam Lee serve 100 free meals each week.

“We have a young men’s group at our church,” Kang says. “As soon as they found out he was doing this, they jumped in and volunteered.”

Kang’s church partnered with McKendree United Methodist, a downtown church with cafeteria facilities to accommodate hundreds. “We’ve got a big building here and we don’t mind sharing it,” says McKendree Pastor Tom Halliburton. “We are excited to be a part of what God wants to do down here.”

Lee now finds he can serve more than 100 with the help of the two churches. And each Thursday, church members sit down to share dinner with their homeless friends.

Homeless advocate Steve Reiter of Nashville says a little food can conquer many problems. “If people are fed, they are less likely to commit a crime. If people are desperate and hungry, they make poor decisions.”

A UMNS photo by Ronny Perry Robert Smith, homeless for almost seven months now, comes to taste Lee’s dinners every week.

Robert Smith, homeless for almost seven months now, comes to the program every week. “If you let them know what you need and what’s going on in your life, they will try and help you out as much as they can.”

Lee cooks for this crowd every Thursday, and Thanksgiving Day — Nov. 24 — will be no different except the food will be extra special. “We plan to serve some traditional Korean food,” Lee says.

Some of the homeless people say they choose life on the street because relationships at home are strained. Many feel they have no one they can go home to.

Cole Barnes says he no longer speaks to his family. He plans to be at McKendree for the holiday meal. It means a lot to Barnes that Lee and his friends will spend their Thanksgiving there too.

“In my heart, it means someone really does care for the homeless,” Barnes says. “I am very grateful for these people.”

*Marigza is a freelance producer in Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Fran Coode Walsh, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5458 or newsdesk@umcom.org.