Gettysburg Community Soup Kitchen

After 20 years in the basement of Prince of Peace Episcopal church, the Gettysburg Community Soup Kitchen begins the new year in a new location. On Wednesday January 4th, the Soup Kitchen physically moves into the newly renovated Peace House (the old Saint Francis rectory). Gastley’s Moving company, which is generously offering their expert help, will arrive shortly after lunch is served. The goal is to move after lunch on the 4th (Wednesday) with lunch on the 5th (Thursday) to be served in the new location.

Currently, the Soup Kitchen serves a hot nutritious lunch Monday through Saturday. After the move, lunch will be served seven days a week. For information about the Soup Kitchen, the move, and how you can help, please contact Denise Weldon-Siviy, Community Outreach Liaison at outreach@gettysburgsoupkitchen.org.

We are absolutely thrilled to report that the Soup Kitchen has received a grant from the Adams County Foundation to purchase a commercial dishwasher our new location. In addition to allowing us to be more environmentally responsible, the purchase of a commercial dishwasher will allow us to save quite a bit of money. In 2010, we spent $2,275 on paper goods to purchase disposable serving ware (plates, cups and bowls) and plastic eating utensils.

2011 is shaping up to be a fantastic year! No more disposable plate expenses or excess trash! We’re looking forward to being clean, green and compassionate. What a great combination! Thank you SO much Adams County Foundation!!!!

I’m thrilled to report that the Soup Kitchen can now accept donations made online via PayPal.

Yes, the rumors are true. The Gettysburg Community Soup Kitchen will be MOVING!

You may have already heard this. It’s a small town and big news travels fast. I wanted to make sure you got the details from the horse’s mouth.

Prince of Peace recently completed their purchase of the Saint Francis rectory located on High Street. Their plan is to convert the old rectory into Peace House—an entire building dedicated to serving the less fortunate in the Gettysburg Community. As part of the building’s new design, Prince of Peace will be offering space to the Gettysburg Community Soup Kitchen to continue its mission of feeding the needy.

For nearly 20 years, Prince of Peace has provided free lodging to the Soup Kitchen. It is their intention to continue to do so indefinitely.  In our new location, the Soup Kitchen will have access to more and better space—quite literally moving out of the basement and into the light!  The new kitchen, once renovated, will provide more workable space along with the opportunity to approach our mission in a more environmentally friendly way. For example, our current location simply doesn’t have space for a commercial dishwasher, requiring us to use 10s of thousands of Styrofoam plates and cups each year. Our new location will provide ample space for a more functional kitchen, as well as a full room–size pantry instead of a long skinny closet.  (I for one really look forward to the day I can enter our food pantry without sliding sideways or holding my breath!) 

No doubt you caught the key phrase above, “once renovated.”  To this end, we will be holding a variety of fundraisers in the coming year. Our hope is to raise sufficient funds to begin renovations this coming summer, moving to our new location by the end of 2011.  It’s a scary thought.  To be honest, we’d be pretty freaked out if we didn’t believe with all our hearts that God takes care of the Soup Kitchen. 

While we’re addressing the renovation fundraising, we’ll be relying more than ever on our supporters to continue to support the day-to-day mechanics of feeding the hungry and meeting the basic needs of the “least among us.” Any help you can provide us is most sincerely appreciated.

Thanks!

To kick off a year of great events and exciting upcoming news at the Soup Kitchen, we’re proud to introduce you to our new and improved website. Using an easily changeable source, our new website is easier to read, follow, and update–so expect to see lots of news from us!

A special thank you to our webmaster, Jimmy Hartzell.

If you get a chance, please let us know what you think about our new website. We’d especially like to know what you’d like to see here.

Thanks again to the Adams County Gleaners, for supplying the Soup Kitchen with plenty of surplus fruits from local farms. This summer’s strawberries were especially welcome!

Again this month, we saw a stream of hungry guests as well as exasperated souls trying to escape the intense heat.  As temperatures soared, guests seemed greatly appreciative of our air conditioning.

Numbers were slightly down from last July, but at the same level as 2008.  We continue to see small peaks and drops of guests seeking hot food. Sometimes these seem to correspond to the economy. Other times, we really don’t have a clue. 

Weather is sometimes a factor, but not always in ways we can predict. If it rains steadily, we often have more guests. Whether they’re escaping the elements or taking advantage of a relaxed rainy day, we don’t know. If it rains violently or too persistently, we often have fewer guests. Those without transportation and with longer walks seem to choose staying dry those days over staying fed.  Heat also sometimes increases numbers and sometimes decreases them. I suspect we saw both affects in play last month.

About the only fact that does remain constant is that a small but significant number of our neighbors continue to need our help.

August was hectic and busy–especially the last full week, with numbers near 50 each day.

Produce donations continue.  Recently we gave out 6 boxes of peaches from a grower who gave many more to SCCAP.  Donations from the AG Center and Eisenhower Farm continue, as well as garden gifts from individuals.  The Heart Walk gave boxes of leftover juice, snack-pack crackers, bananas, and pretzels.  St. James UCC from Littlestown continues its monthly food drives for us. We appealed for desserts to Gettysburg College when we were short and a flood came in. 

The new pots and pans from the Hoffman Foundation grant last winter have been very useful all around but especially for cooking some of the fresh vegetables for side dishes with our meals. We have served many raw vegetables and fruits, too.

Right now, we have several outright homeless guests.  Several others are living in tents and would welcome sleeping bags if any were available.  (Last year St. Mary’s, Fairfield donated some.)

I am happy to report that a family that was homeless this summer has now found housing.  This family had been using campgrounds but could no longer afford the fees. They traveled to this area in hopes of finding work.  The father has valuable qualifications but has been unable to find work so far.  

The shower has been useful for some throughout the summer. Medications are a problem for people off the road.  A volunteer who is also a retired psychologist has been able to advise some.

This month, we saw a steady stream of hungry guests,  very close to the numbers we’ve seen over the past few years. Actually, it’s somewhat disheartening to see how high the need for meals remains over the summer months.

Total numbers were down slightly due to lower attendance at the Meals & More children’s program.   We suspect that this was due to the addition of a summer feeding program for children at a local elementary school. However, the children who are coming seem most appreciative of the day camp program that accompanies their hot lunch at Meals & More. 

The Meals & More program continues to meet the spiritual, educational, and social needs of our local children as well as providing them with a hot, nutritious lunch.