It was only 3:40 p.m. on a Tuesday, but at Anna’s House, dinner was ready. The meal of the day -- braised half-dried pollack, seasoned bean sprout salad, kimchi, kimchi soup and rice -- was neatly arranged in big containers.

Father Kim Ha-jong gathered around with a group of volunteers and they all recited a prayer in unison.

“We are grateful to serve those in need … happier when giving than receiving.”

After the prayer, priest Kim, who was born in Italy as Vincenzo Bordo, announced the start of the day’s meal, saying, “Let’s serve with loving hearts.”

Outside, about 100 guests were waiting in a long line. Kim later explained that most were homeless or older people living alone.

“For humans, love is more important than food,” the father stressed, as he bowed at a 90-degree angle to greet the day’s guests as they came in to enjoy the free meal.

‘A miracle every day’

On average, about 500-600 people eat at Anna’s House, located in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Some travel from distant places, while others start waiting in the morning, the father explained.

Since its foundation in 1998, the soup kitchen has provided one meal per day to anyone who comes, except on Sundays.

Running the kitchen requires significant financial resources and daily effort from volunteers. However, there has not been a single day when a guest was turned away without a meal.

“We experience a miracle every day,” said Kim.

Even during the worst days of the pandemic, the kitchen never shut down.

Officials from the municipal government came and told Kim to shut down Anna's House, to comply with social distancing rules, but he resisted. Kim told the officials if people couldn't get proper meals, that would be a bigger threat to them than the virus and would make them more susceptible to it.

As most other soup kitchens closed, the number of people coming to Anna’s House reached 1,000 a day.

“I prayed every day that none of the staff would contract the virus, as a single case would force us to close for a week,” he said. And, in the end, none of the staff members caught COVID-19.

Kim said he is grateful for the volunteers who make this daily miracle possible, supporting the work both physically and financially. During the interview, a couple of doctors visited to offer their services as medical volunteers.

Among the many supporters, he recalled a child who donated 2,000 won ($1.46) a few years ago, with a wish for the money to be used to serve meals to those in need. A year later, the child donated 20,000 won with the same wish.

Kim recalled another supporter who visited him a few years ago. The middle-aged woman got by working as a dishwasher in local restaurants. Wanting to contribute to the work of Anna’s House, she offered her gold ring and necklace as donations.