Local church’s soup kitchen sees growth in 3 years
Published 7:00 am Wednesday, February 26, 2020
In three years, the end of month soup kitchen at Life Church of Picayune has grown from serving 100 people to serving 300.
Saturday’s soup kitchen will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and might be the last soup kitchen at the church’s current location, before it moves into a new building.
“It’s for anybody. We don’t ask questions,” said the pastor’s wife, Amber Burge.
The soup kitchen began when the church started three years ago, and Burge believes it has grown because there are no questions or requirements to receive a hot meal. Attendees are welcome to take as much food as they need, and often people will take a meal for lunch and for dinner, Burge said.
The soup kitchen has fed people who could not afford food, people who were grieving the loss of a loved one and needed a hot meal, people who were dealing with illness and those who had difficulty leaving their homes.
The soup kitchen is scheduled at the end of the month because often the end of the month is a time when people run low on funds and may need help before their next check, said Burge.
“It’s our way to say ‘thank you’ and that God loves them,” said Burge.
Anyone is welcome to attend and anyone is welcome to volunteer with the efforts of the soup kitchen, regardless of whether they are affiliated with the church. The food is donated or purchased with cash contributions, which primarily come from church members, said Burge.
Saturday’s meal will be jambalaya with a side and a desert.
The soup kitchen will be held Saturday, Feb. 29, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 131 East Third St. People can also have meals delivered. To get a meal delivered or to learn more about helping with the soup kitchen, call or text Burge at 601-569-1818.