Stop by St. Peter's and Andrew's Episcopal Church in the Mt. Pleasant section of Providence on the last Sunday of any month, and you will find a professional chef hard at work providing guests with the best dining experience possible.

But this is no ordinary dining room. Professional chef Paul Pinault has been volunteering at the Church's soup kitchen for more than ten years, offering Rhode Island's needy population delicious and satisfying meals. His hard work and caring persona makes him this month's Community Hero, a collaborative effort between Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) and the American Red Cross Rhode Island Chapter (ARCRIC) to recognize people who make a difference among people living in our community.

Pinault is former head banquet chef at the Providence Marriott and former executive chef at the Squantum Club and Dunes Club and well trained to meet such a challenge. Each month before the dinner, Pinault takes inventory of what the kitchen has in stock, calls wholesalers, and plans the upcoming meal. Pinault is continually challenged to stretch the small budget, a fund that is supported by generous parishioners and donors. Relying on his creativity and knowledge of the business, Pinault is able to use the money to provide guests with a full Sunday dinner including main courses such as roast beef or pork loin - entrées not typical of a soup kitchen.

"It is a wonderful feeling to provide such a nice meal to our guests," said Pinault. "I may make a difference in their lives, but they make one in mine. I feel such a personal reward," he said in reference to the years of his work.