Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in Denver’s City Park neighborhood serve up plates heaped with compassion, they serve a vegan meal.  The new menu was adapted in August because they want to teach people how to eat better.  Mount Carmel Pastor, Jimmy McGee, has spoken out about his own health and why he believes the change is a good thing.

“So many of us are on medications for high cholesterol and hypertension,” he said.  “We want to teach people how to eat a little better.”  He goes on to talk about how he was diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, but today the numbers are lower because he has begun exercising and making healthier food choices.

Some of the menu’s staple items include black-eyed peas, red beans and brown rice dishes, along with assortments of raw and cooked vegetables and fruits.  “We have a heart for single parents, for the homeless and those who are destitute,” McGee said. “We want to reach out to the needs of the community.”

Feeding the homeless and poor has always been a mission for the parishioners at Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, and the meatless meals are a way to introduce vegan food to groups that may have never had it before.

There are about 75 folks who typically dine at the church.  Some receive bus rides, others live close.  The free, hot vegan meals are served from 10am to 2pm on the third Tuesday of each month.  The next free, hot vegan meal will be served up on November 17, 2009.  The church is located at 2575 Vine Street.

You can’t get any more awesome than that.  A true example of compassion, feeding the needy without ending a life.  That’s beautiful.

via denverpost.com