Local Chinese women of a certain age — well known for equating food with love — are cooking their hearts out for three new ministries at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

One of the oldest Chinese congregations in Hawaii, St. Peter’s boasts a wealth of cooks who mastered their culinary craft while satisfying family appetites for decades, said the Rev. Diane Martinson.

The three ministries include the "Habitat Lunch Bunch" for Habitat for Humanity construction volunteers, the "Soul Food" group that makes soup and delivers it to seniors or the homebound, and a team that makes breakfast every Wednesday morning for 60 students at the nearby Central Middle School.

The church at Queen Emma Square has been standing for 100 years in the shadow of the more famous Cathedral of St. Andrew, the mother church of the Anglican or Episcopalian diocese in Hawaii, on the same downtown block. Chinese immigrants formed their own Episcopalian community in 1887, and in 1914 were given the Ewa-makai corner for church construction. While there are still families descended from the founders, today’s members (not quite 100) are multiethnic, or "mixed plate Hawaiian," as Martinson likes to say.

Elizabeth Winternitz is coordinator of the dozen Lunch Bunch volunteers who make a multicourse meal for at least 75 workers at the Habitat for Humanity construction site in Waimanalo once a month. The group has won two Faith in Action Awards from HFH (a nonprofit Christian housing ministry) because they stepped up to the challenge of feeding triple the number of workers they started with a few years ago. They could have just bought ready-made food, but insisted on making a hot main course, fresh green salad, a fruit medley, rice and home-baked desserts.

An excerpt from the award letter reads:

"During 2013, your congregants went above and beyond by continuing to provide lunches for our volunteers on the Kumuhau build site. Because of the size of this project, we are required to feed as many as 90 hungry volunteers each work day! While this can be a daunting task to make the simplest of lunches, your members continue to serve a hot home-cooked meal. To be able to have fresh food and desserts for all of our volunteers is truly a gift."

Rae Gorman and her sister Nani Ho have been the bulwarks of the Lunch Bunch since they started cooking for Habitat three years ago, Winternitz said.

Gorman said, "It’s a way of giving back to the community and a good opportunity to put Jesus’ teaching into practice, like taking care of your neighbor. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. We all like to cook, and it’s also a way of sharing our talents."

Gorman credits Winternitz with contributing culinary flair to the ministry. "Over the years, Elizabeth has developed some good recipes She makes very good chili with fresh herbs. There’s nothing just completely ordinary, mostly due to Elizabeth. She really researches the recipes."

Gorman adds with a laugh, "No matter what we do, they love it because they’re really hungry when everything gets there."

Another ministry volunteer, Stephanie Goo, agrees "absolutely" with the sentiment that at St. Peter’s, food equals love.

"That’s how you express it, and we do that very well here. I mean, in this church, within the community and even amongst other churches, we’re known for very good food. People think it’s from the Chinese history, the culture, where you always provide food," she said.

But Winternitz notes while many of her cooks and kitchen helpers are Chinese, a good portion are not tied to that heritage. That group includes two dessert bakers who don’t even belong to the church.

"It’s a creative, artistic outlet for all of us," she said. For the St. Peter’s members, it’s also "part of being a participating member of the congregation and using the gifts God gave us to make the world a little bit brighter place." Plus, Winternitz adds, "We have a good time."

For Winternitz’s fiance, Steve Mitchell, who delivers meals to Habitat for Humanity crews in Waimanalo, the most rewarding part of a ministry day involves serving the food.

"It’s awesome," Mitchell said. "They love having us there. We show up and serve and it’s a really nice moment.

"The people there have become our friends. … The families (who are building homes) are so grateful, and they get to keep the leftovers."

Standing in a kitchen buzzing with food ministry workers, Mitchell said, "This a very happy group; these are really happy sounds."

Nodding toward a group of the women chopping up ingredients, he added, "They’re our heroes. They’re in their 70s and 80s, and they’re giving and doing."