The Soup Kitchen has been providing meals to the city’s most vulnerable for 40 years and to celebrate, they’ve set a lofty goal of raising $24,000 to make 4,000 meals in 40 days for their patrons.
Since 1982, the Soup Kitchen has made meals every day for the people in Victoria who need food the most. They say they haven’t missed a single day of service, even through COVID-19 shutdowns.
Now, they’ve bought themselves a new bread slicer to help them achieve their goal that now resides in the basement of the St. Andrew’s Cathedral. This new piece of machinery will significantly help volunteers achieve that which they’ve set their sights on.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the 100% volunteer powered organization has been making 3,000 balanced, healthy sandwiches per month. With the help of their new slicer, that will surely be so much easier.
The Soup Kitchen was able to get this 250 pound slicer with a generous $5,000 donation from the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, Victoria Commandery.
On Tuesday, November 15th, Bob Plecas, of the Sovereign Order joined volunteers and donors to christen the new slicer that will help them raise $24,000 as well as make 4,000 meals in the next 40 days.
Plecas presented the Soup Kitchen with an additional $1,000 to start them off on the right foot in their fundraiser at the christening.
“We are thrilled to support the Soup Kitchen,” said Plecas. “This small, yet mighty, volunteer-based organization has consistently provided warm meals to people at risk for 40 years in the downtown core.”
“Today, with food inflation, we are seeing more suffering; our neighbours are suffering, and the vulnerable in our community are suffering.”
To the volunteers at the Soup Kitchen, every donation is tangible and means a community member they know will have a fresh, healthy meal.
“We are so very grateful. These charitable contributions are extremely valuable to us, and to the people who come through our doors each weekday in search of kindness, respect and a healthy meal,” said Teri Hustins, a long standing volunteer for the Soup Kitchen.
“Our volunteers have spent countless hours hand slicing bread. This automated bread slicer will save time, allowing us to transform the fresh loaves of bread, that are donated from Cobbs Bakery, much faster into sandwiches for our hungry guests.”
Every meal the Soup Kitchen makes costs about $6. This means that if they are able to raise $24,000, the 4,000 meals will all be paid for in full. So far, the organization has raised over $3,040 of their goal. That means over 506 meals have been paid for.
“Today’s generous $1,000 financial contribution from the Sovereign Order will feed over 160 people and we hope that others will step forward to assist us in meeting our goal of 4,000 meals in 40 days,” said Hustins.
Donations to the Soup Kitchen can be made through their website.
