In the spirit of Easter was evident throughout the Bay area Sunday morning - and particularly so at Hyde Park United Methodist Church, where staffers and volunteers fed the homeless a warm breakfast.
The effort was part of the church's Open Arms Ministries, which provides food, clothing, haircuts and more to the needy.
Sunday's meal "boosts your confidence and your morale and gives you back some of your humanity," said Bill Jennings, a homeless man. "They treat you nice and give you back your dignity."
Open Arms was established in 2004 to "make God's love real to disenfranchised and marginalized men and women in the Hyde park area." Open Arms also collects toiletries and clothing on a regular basis and distributes them the first Sunday of the month.
The ministry feeds the homeless every Sunday. Even when the church facilities are full, organizers find a way to make space.
"We'll continue to reach out to people in need in this community," Senior Pastor Jim Harnish said. "That's what we're about."
Haircuts are available the third Sunday of the month. The goal is to see all people as children of God and to treat them with dignity and respect while meeting basic human needs, church officials say.
Volunteers say it's a wonderful opportunity to give back for the gifts they've received in their own lives.
"It's nice to see all the people leaving happy, especially on Easter," volunteer Juli Cronin said.