You'll recognize Circle of Angels member Carol Coben when she's working in our kitchen by the blue apron with her name embroidered across the front.

Her history with us started back in 1992, when she read about us in the newspaper. "I called up, asked if they needed volunteers, and grabbed an apron to head to the church on Fountain & Fairfax" she recalls.

"I had so much fun on my first day that I was there five days a week for the next few months! At the time we were feeding about 100 people a day, and the entire kitchen had to be packed up at the end of every shift so that the church could host AA meetings in the evenings."

Carol has now volunteered for 32 years – enough time to know all our chefs from when they were first hired as dishwashers. She says they are like family to her, and that they all know one another's kids and grandkids.

She's still coming in regularly, sometimes up to three days a week. Though Carol's always willing to pitch in and do whatever needs to be done, one of her favorite tasks is working the machine that seals the meal trays after they've been filled. "I like to make the meals look good. You know, you eat with your eyes first. The other day we were doing chicken, and I was turning the pieces over to the browned side, the pretty side. Sometimes I stop the machine and say, there's not enough, give me some more food. I ask, would this be enough food for me? That’s the benchmark."