Soup Kitchens

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Dymphna82

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Are there no Catholic soup kitchens? I’ve been Googling around and have found nowhere to volunteer in my city. I found one place to volunteer, at a Methodist church, but I can cancel if there’s another option. Just seems unreal to me that I can’t find anything about Thanksgiving volunteerism.
 
Why does it have to be Catholic? Even if it were Catholic, it’s not like non-Catholics couldn’t come.

If you want a Catholic soup kitchen, why not try to organize one at your parish? It’s not like there isn’t a need for more.
 
The short answer is, don’t ask my motives and just answer the question. 😃
 
Well, the answer to your question is: it depends on where you live. 🤷
 
Dymphna82 said:
Are there no Catholic soup kitchens? I’ve been Googling around and have found nowhere to volunteer in my city. I found one place to volunteer, at a Methodist church, but I can cancel if there’s another option. Just seems unreal to me that I can’t find anything about Thanksgiving volunteerism.
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There is a Methodist Church I have found since my search that even gives a Thanksgiving meal and clothes and food during the entire year…
I gave my time and talents to their art program and still support them with donations of tangible items, and wish that one day the Catholic Parish could join with them to combine their efforts. The Methodist Chuch will take anyone in, get them help, etc.
They are set up to help people here locally
 
Then call your diocese and ask if they are sponsoring a soup kitchen 🙂
 
I can try that. I’ve already looked at the Brooklyn and New York diocese’s websites. They have info about every way to volunteer except for for Thanksgiving or food pantries. Boggles my mind. I know exactly where to go if I want to knit for the homeless but not where to cook. 😛 And before you ask, no, I’m not knitting.

I’m going to bed now. I’m hoping to see a clear answer when I wake up, hopefully with links to websites and addresses.
 
Rence said:
Then call your diocese and ask if they are sponsoring a soup kitchen 🙂
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I go to Mass three times a week. Not really seeing a reason to ask them about this gap in their ways of doing things. Their big thrust is getting the kids who live in the southside stuff they want and do not need, and have more than the private and public schools here have. Guilted into thinking they have nothing, they give. Even though they have science labs that would blow your mind away. Too bad no one there seems to use it.
 
 
Dymphna82 said:
Are there no Catholic soup kitchens? I’ve been Googling around and have found nowhere to volunteer in my city. I found one place to volunteer, at a Methodist church, but I can cancel if there’s another option. Just seems unreal to me that I can’t find anything about Thanksgiving volunteerism.
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Try the local St. Vincent DePaul Society. Or ask the Knights of Columbus.

Many soup kitchens are run out of parishes, or parishes cook and take the food to

a location where it is distributed. Ours does this twice a week and takes the food to the local

St Vincent De Paul.

You could also try to call your Diocese or Catholic Charities.

Just go where the Lord sends you. I admire your wanting to serve Him on Thanksgiving.🙂
 
TrueLight said:
What’s up Brooklyn? 😃
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😃 Hihi

I might just settle for the one I RSVP’d for. A weak excuse but I’m not a phone person or much of a talkative person offline, so I prefer to find the info online. Thanks guys.
 
Dymphna82 said:
Are there no Catholic soup kitchens? I’ve been Googling around and have found nowhere to volunteer in my city. I found one place to volunteer, at a Methodist church, but I can cancel if there’s another option. Just seems unreal to me that I can’t find anything about Thanksgiving volunteerism.
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The Salvation Army and other protestant groups have achieved a large degree of hegemony is the “Soup Kitchen” sector of the charitable feeding industry here in America, largely because they were here first.

Christian charities really don’t like to step on each others toes and duplicate the same services others are already providing. Its just protocol in this field.

But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of Catholic charitable feeding programs, delivering meals to the needy, etc. that are out there in the St. Vincent de Paul societies and other apostolates.
 
There’s no St. Vincent De Paul Society in NYC, as far as I can see. I think there may have been one at sometime though.
 
A nearby parish for me runs a soup kitchen.
My parish runs kitchen, but they rarely serve soup.

Youi are welcome to volunteer, but the commute may be a problem.
😃
 
Dymphna82 said:
Are there no Catholic soup kitchens? I’ve been Googling around and have found nowhere to volunteer in my city. I found one place to volunteer, at a Methodist church, but I can cancel if there’s another option. Just seems unreal to me that I can’t find anything about Thanksgiving volunteerism.
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Hi fellow Brooklynite! My parish has a St. Vincent De Paul food pantry. It’s not from the “official” St Vincent De Paul Society, but it is in St Vincent’s name as he is the patron saint of charities. Although it is not advertised online, it is known to parishoners and locals in our neighborhood. We serve about 40 families every week. Some of the neighboring parishes also run food pantries.

The best way to find out what is near you is to contact your parish rectory. Tell them you want to volunteer and I’m sure they can point you somewhere!
 
Dymphna82 said:
Are there no Catholic soup kitchens? I’ve been Googling around and have found nowhere to volunteer in my city. I found one place to volunteer, at a Methodist church, but I can cancel if there’s another option. Just seems unreal to me that I can’t find anything about Thanksgiving volunteerism.
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we are serving about 800 families on Thanksgiving day

Catholic Charities is giving out food baskets, as are all the parishes that have an active St. Vincent de Paul society.

In this area, food bank clients are divided by geographic areas, so our town is split up into territories according to which church or institution participates in the food bank and maintains a food pantry and/or meal service. So this parish covers our territorial parish boundaries for all donations, but for food bank commodities we can only give out to those in our food bank boundaries. The Baptist church to the East, the Christian community church to the west, Salvation Army to the north, and another church to the south, accept clients in their food bank boundaries. It is confusing, but any USDA or food bank commodities have to obey their rules.

So your area, to make a long story short, may have such limitations. Also the health department may have something to say, and if your parish does not have a kitchen certified for that purpose, may not be allowed to have a hot meal program. For instance, we cannot have a regular hot meal program here because the kitchen is also a school kitchen, and their rules prohibit that usage, as we are configured now.

Lastly, if you want to start something at your parish, be the catalyst. Go to your pastor, share your idea, do the research, recruit other volunteers, and get started.

Catholics can have anything they want in their parishes, by exercising stewardship in time, talent and treasure.
 
I’ not a recruiter. I’m sorry if I sound proactive. I am always pushing forward but I don’t have that much push right now. One day out of the year is a big step for me. Doing much of anything, religious or not is hard.
 
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