The routine is familiar: wash hands, don apron and gloves, await instructions from crew chief. We’re here again at McAuley House for Lunch on Us, ready to start serving.

While Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island employees volunteer at McAuley year-round, June is the month that our company underwrites the cost of lunch for McAuley guests. To make that contribution more meaningful, all of us at BCBSRI are especially encouraged to volunteer during the June lunch service. Because McAuley has a deep bench of loyal volunteers, or “regulars," there are only about four spots available for BCBSRI associates every day. And I can tell you, as soon as the call goes out for Lunch on Us volunteers, the spots are filled – you have to be quick on the draw to sign up! Once you’ve served Lunch on Us, you’re hooked!

Our partnership with McAuley is a natural. BCBSRI has been here for Rhode Islanders for nearly 80 years, and our CEO, Kim Keck, likes to say that community service is in our company DNA. Ask any employee the top reason they are proud to work at BCBSRI and you will get the same answer: our strong connection to all of the communities in our state.

More specifically, we understand the importance of providing nutritious meals to people who might not have easy access to healthy food or to a place where they can prepare a meal. Good nutrition is essential to good health – and our company is passionate about helping Rhode Islanders become healthy and stay healthy. Lunch on Us ensures that at least once a day Rhode Islanders from underserved and under-resourced neighborhoods can sit down to a filling and delicious meal. It’s not a panacea by any stretch, but it can make a difference.

Where the difference really comes into play is this: Lunch on Us is about much more than lunch. Which is why so many of us vie for those coveted volunteer spots.

When the first group of guests is seated, everyone joins in prayer and sometimes song. Highlights of afternoon programming are announced. These pre-lunch rituals add a little joy to what is almost certainly a challenging day. Many guests are clearly struggling with physical and behavioral health problems. Some walk in carrying – or wearing – their life’s possessions. Some are moms with small children. But at McAuley, everyone – no matter their circumstances – is treated with dignity, respect, and kindness. Plenty of compassion, but no pity. No one is rushed through the meal. The dining room is a safe, judgment-free zone.

Lifting people’s spirits is a special expertise of McAuley Ministries. It’s a gift the McAuley staff and regulars freely give to their guests. And all they ask in return is that guests enjoy the food and fellowship of Lunch on Us. That’s an experience we can all benefit from sharing and passing along.

Melanie Coon is the managing director of internal communications at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island.