The Rev. Robert Newman and volunteers of First Presbyterian Church of Catasauqua, 210 Pine St., are joining with several other churches and businesses in the area in an effort to help end hunger on the local level. Together, they are slowly building a network that may help prevent people in need from falling through the cracks.

“I love the vision that, on any given day of the week, you could go somewhere in this town and get a free meal and maybe even a second that would last you for dinner, too. I think that’s a collective vision,” Newman said.

Pastor Bobby, as Newman is affectionately known by parishioners and neighbors alike, said he first learned of this need through the efforts of other churches and businesses in town.

“Blondies on Front Street has been known to give away hundreds of meals on a Saturday, and I know Holy Trinity Memorial Lutheran Church on Fourth Street is doing a weekly meal. John at Pie’s On Pizzeria on Front Street is giving away free pizzas, even on Christmas Day, so we just wanted to get on board with that,” he said.

What makes these meals special is the church is asking nothing in return.

“We don’t want donations (from recipients) and won’t even accept them. It all comes from our efforts monetarily, and we cook everything. And we don’t put a worship schedule in the bags or anything. It’s about having the meal,” Newman said.

“Even as a pastor, if I go to a meal and grab a bag and I see a brochure with church worship times, I might sound negative, but I’m already thinking ‘Oh, so that’s why they’re doing this.’”

It may be about love, he said, but it’s also about recruitment, about swelling their ranks.

“For me, it should be living that love and not fear,” he said.

Newman said he feels adding to church membership should be a by-product of the unconditional love they express with these lunches. By not attempting to recruit for the church membership, Newman is hoping to get a clear message across.

“This is not like where you have to listen to the timeshare speech in order to get the free lunch,” he said. “This is 100 percent about honoring you for coming out, and if we can get across to someone that they are the blessing, not us, that’s the real juice.”

He stressed the meals are for all hunger.

“It’s for all people, whether you haven’t had a meal in a day or more, can afford to pay your own bills or serve as a caretaker for children and/or adults and could use one less task to have to complete,” he said. “Every person needs at least one reminder that they are loved for their sake and not for the sake of the person offering the gesture of unconditional love. For some people, it may be the only reminder of unconditional love one may experience.

“It’s for everyone because eventually what I envision is people sitting together at a table. People who would normally never sit together but are all part of Catasauqua. It’s a great way to get to know each other. That won’t happen immediately, but it’s a goal,” Newman said.

The church has been holding monthly free lunches since May, and the numbers of participants has risen from about 55 in May to approximately 85 in July. Newman is not concerned if the numbers continue to rise.

“We have a contingency plan. If we ever run out of food, we’ll just order pizza and sandwiches,” he said.

The church prefers to employ low-profile methods, such as leaflets, word of mouth and guerrilla graffiti to advertise upcoming meals. Guerrilla graffiti entails Newman, with the help of some teens from the church, using sidewalk chalk to write what, where and when on strategic locations throughout the community.

The free meals take place every third Monday of the month, with the next one planned for 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 16. It will be a grab-and-go affair. Organizers hope to transition to a sit-down lunch in the near future.

“Ultimately, it will be the greatest blessing to witness people who would not ordinarily interact with one another sitting at the table together as equals for a meal. For all ... for all hunger. This lunch is not only for the community, but it’s about our community as its many intricate stories become interwoven as a mosaic of wholeness at this lunch. This table belongs not to any one group or organization. It belongs to a Catasauqua people who are reminded that they are loved and that they are the true blessings,” Newman said.