2021 Year to Date
Average Pre-pandemic
Average during Pandemic
Meals served:
Volunteers:
Volunteer Hours:
6427
200
2392
5500
80
Not measured
7800
150
Not measured
Our History:
While still at our old location on Baltimore Avenue, Penny MacLennan and Sylvia Walker felt called to start a soup kitchen to feed the hungry. At the time they did not feel that our facilities were suitable, with the kitchen and fellowship hall in the basement and limited parking. Once we moved to our current location, we started putting our plan in place.
At our first meeting in January of 2012 about twenty-five people came. As there was no local soup kitchen available to the homeless and those in need on Sundays, we decided to serve on Sundays. We also named the soup kitchen Food and Love, with the motto: Cook Food, Serve Love. We began with five teams and then welcomed a team from Seaside Jewish Community, making six teams that prepare, package, and serve the meals each week. We served our first meal on the last Sunday of February in 2012. The addition of the Jewish Seaside team has ensured our serving 500 Sunday meals in a row as they cover for whichever team would serve food on Easter and Christmas. We, in turn, cover for them should their Sunday fall on one of their High Holy Days.
Each team has ten to twelve members and served their meals in the fellowship hall before the pandemic. When COVID hit we did not stop, we just changed the way we did things and actually increased the number of meals which we now offer as takeout. We all miss the fellowship of serving our guests but know that one day we will be able to return to in-person in-house dining.
The need has been greater because of COVID. So far this year we have served 6427 meals. God has blessed this ministry from the very beginning. We started with a $500 donation and since then we have never had to ask the church to fund us. Before long we knew we would need to expand our refrigerator/freezer space. A member of the congregation bought us a used walk-in refrigerator/freezer and Seaside has also at times given us monetary donations for equipment.
We would like to thank everyone, especially those who have helped behind the scenes, for donating your time and money. Of course, we give our greatest thanks to God who has blessed us so generously.