“Well as I see it,” said Lisa, wiping her flour-covered hand on her apron, “why sit in a classroom when your learning could help someone else?”
And with that one statement, made mid-knead with flour covering the steel worktop, she had captured the very heart of what we do.
At Three13, we love work-based training because getting stuck into a community is much more positive than focusing on an individual’s job status or their present circumstances. With our support, they can forget the past and look forward to what’s ahead. It’s a ‘come on Zacchaeus, let’s have dinner’ mentality.
Whilst Lisa worked towards her qualification in hospitality, she was also joining our team. Her confidence and skills for work were developing as she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with other learners and a Jesus-loving tutor. When you prepare food as an act of generosity, that love rubs off.
At our Teesside Hub, the training kitchen sends 1,000 meals out into the community each year. Featuring ingredients grown by learners in the nearby training garden, curries, stews, soups, pies, breads and even old-school sprinkle cake make their way from our Teesside Hub to feed guests at Connect.
The Connect Network, founded by Junction 42, partners with national churches to cultivate organic, welcoming missional communities where individuals who found faith in prison, along with their wider families and communities, can belong.
Middlesbrough Connect, where most of our meals have been enjoyed to date, is a lively gathering of 40+ guests who come together on a Monday night to eat, hear the Gospel and respond with vibrant worship. With many in attendance battling addiction, experiencing food insecurity or homelessness, it’s another place on Teesside filled with those looking to forget the past and move forward.
That’s the beauty.
Generously filled plates that bring value to both those who prepared the portion and those who polished it off.
Hannah Roderick
Marketing & Fundraising Manager, Three13
Reflect
‘They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.’
Acts 2:42-45
Pray
- Pray for someone who usually eats alone to share your table.
- Ask God to provide what is needed for welcoming meals.
- Thank Him for conversations that build belonging and faith.
Act
A generosity challenge for you to complete today:
| Create an extra place at your table and invite a neighbour, a colleague or someone else who might usually eat alone to share a meal. Hospitality turns food into friendship. |
About Three13
Three13 provides work-based training across the North East, helping people recognise their worth, gain practical skills and move towards meaningful, sustainable employment.
Rooted in Christian values, Three13’s community-focused programmes build confidence, restore purpose and create opportunities for 180 people each year to experience lasting social and economic transformation.
