Mayor Has Strong Words to Those Against 2nd Lord's Diner

November 17, 2009

by Kim Hynes (WICHITA, Kan.)

Fight hunger with the same passion you fought the Lord's Diner. That's what Mayor Carl Brewer told church leaders in north east Wichita Tuesday. He and other council members expressed their disappointment about the second Lord's Diner proposal being withdrawn. But the mayor doesn't blame the Lord's Diner after the way they were treated.

"I'm really upset, I wish they could come to some other conclusion," said Latosha Jones. She wants a conclusion that gives her the ability to eat at a Lord's Diner in north east Wichita. "I was really looking forward to it. I don't want to go all the way downtown, with gas and everything. It would have been nice to have it up here," she said.

Not everyone felt the same way. So after months of growing opposition, the Lord's Diner pulled it's proposal. "I can understand why they pulled out. And I can't say I would have stayed that long as an individual," said Mayor Carl Brewer. He says he doesn't like how the opposition handled the situation. "I was a little disappointed because at the end of the day, it's the people that are in the community that are in need."

"Throughout our community we've been feeding folks forever. It's not like we don't want to feed our community," said president of the Wichita Ministerial League Reuben Eckles. He says area pastor's have nothing against the Lord's Diner, they just didn't like the location at 21st and Grove. He says they would have liked to partner with the Lord's Diner and hope that could still be a possibility for the future. But he says regardless they'll continue to feed the hungry.

Churches in the area already switch off serving a noon meal each day, but the mayor would like to see an evening meal served as well. "I'm challenging those that were so outspoken to take the lead and do that," said the mayor.

"It's something that the community will get together and talk about," Eckles said. But he says they feel they're doing a good job right now of taking care of the needy.

The mayor says he'd like to see the Lord's Diner open a second location somewhere else in Wichita. He says the need exists in more areas than the north east.

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