CHRONICLES

FROM THE BANQUETS TO THE GRATES PARTY NO-SHOWS MEAN FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY

Somewhere in Washington, homeless men are walking about in President-elect George Bush's socks and shorts, according to Mitch Snyder, director of the Community for Creative Non-Violence.

"Barbara Bush has brought us clothing, including her husband's underwear, several times, visited the shelter, and had us over to lunch with Cabinet wives at the vice president's house to talk about the homeless and the hungry," says Snyder.

With this encouragement, Snyder hopes that when Barbara Bush is first lady, he will at last be able to get the food left over from the White House kitchen.

"I've read those menus The Washington Post prints of those state dinners and they certainly sound delicious. I'm sure the White House kitchen must have some left over."

But, he says, he's never gotten a crumb from the White House.

Last week most White House people were in California, and none was available to comment.

Congress, on the other hand, is more generous, Snyder says.

Mrs. Bush learned about CCNV from Susan Baker, wife of the newly chosen State Department secretary, Snyder says, adding that Susan Baker has been a big help to him in getting food from parties held at the Capitol. "We've seen a good bit of her," he says. "And we know we can call on her."

Susan Baker was a cofounder in 1983 of the Committee for Food and Shelter Inc. -- among other things, she's arranged for surplus food from military commissaries to go to the poor. In 1984, just before the election, after sitting and praying with Snyder, who was then fasting for the homeless, she served as the go-between for Snyder and President Reagan.

Snyder is hoping for a cold 1989 inaugural weekend. At the 1985 Reagan inaugural, the bitter cold, near zero, caused the parade and many other events to be canceled -- out of mercy for the high school bands and the officials and people who would've watched them. And many expected guests just didn't show up for parties.

Only 700 of the 1,500 expected showed up for American Security Bank's 1985 inaugural party. So Ridgewells delivered crab sandwiches, French pastries and several types of quiche to Snyder.

From other no-show parties at embassies and such, limousines also drove up to the shelter with sushi, Westphalian ham and Italian sausage.

Every year Snyder sends letters to embassies, restaurants and others to ask for food.

Ridgewells President Jim Caulfield says he receives 2,800 requests a year for food for the poor. "We have to be careful of the freshness of what we send," he says, "so it's mostly cookies, vegetables and bread, edibles that don't have to be refrigerated."

Bill Homan, a partner at Design Cuisine, says those who feed the poor tell him that venison is not a favorite meat, but almost anything else is acceptable. He sends mostly food that's never been out on the buffet tables but has been kept cold.

The ultimate party benefiting the hungry may well have been the "Homeless in America" photo exhibit preview opening at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

Tipper Gore, wife of Sen. Albert Gore Jr., was chairman, and Susan Baker, cochairman. Barbara Bush was an honorary patron.

The buffet tables were beautifully set with candelabra, but bare of food.

Instead, Homan was given $4,000 to buy staples wholesale for four shelters. "We called and asked them what they needed. I remember one wanted cases of green beans -- we"We have to be careful of the freshness of what we send, so it's mostly cookies, vegetables and bread, edibles that don't have to be refrigerated." -- Ridgewells President Jim Caulfield sent canned green beans over for six months," Homan says.

Unless a party is canceled, or people just don't show up because of the weather, not that much is left over. Both Homan and Caulfield say they can figure most party servings closely, especially for seated dinners. "At the National Gallery, for instance, Genevra Higginson keeps us up to date with the numbers coming, right to the time the trucks roll," Homan reports.

Moire' tablecloths are an unexpected leftover. Even water-glass circles can stain moire', which doesn't clean successfully. Homan gives the cloths to senior citizens' organizations, where they are made into Christmas decorations, napkins, pillows and toys.

"We could use some of those cloths, and we also need aprons," says Olivia Ivy, director of operations at Martha's Table, which fed 900 last week at its annual Sunday-before-Thanksgiving dinner.

She adds that the group is grateful for whatever food it can get. "We can always put it in the soup. Bologna, ham and cheese are a real treat. Our people don't often get meat."

SOME -- So Others Might Eat -- has 100 different churches, synogogues and civic groups that bring over freshly cooked meals to feed the hungry, says Sister Mary Griffin, coordinator of volunteers. "We only serve people what we'd serve our own family," she says.

She says that the need is great, not only for the homeless but also for "many people on disability receiving $239 a month {who} have to pay $200 for a room. They can't eat for 30 days on $39."

Lazarus at the Gate, a Falls Church charity, has a problem -- it doesn't have a license to transport perishables because it doesn't own a refrigerated truck, says associate director Peter Hunt, "but we're glad to get what people bring."

Articles appear as they were originally printed in The Washington Post and may not include subsequent corrections.