Soup kitchen volunteers have first meeting
Fri, 2016-01-08 05:00
News Staff
By LYNETTE SOWELL
The group was small that gathered at the Copperas Cove Soup Kitchen on Monday afternoon, but the four would-be volunteers who met had plenty of enthusiasm.
Patrick Richardson, the soup kitchen director, and Rebecca Lack, who’s come alongside Richardson to help outside the kitchen itself, held a brief meeting for those interested in pitching in.
The soup kitchen serves lunch and dinner to as many as 50 people a day, Monday through Friday. Lack told the group the goal of Monday’s meeting was to get volunteers to commit to help faithfully on a regular basis. Richardson isn’t ready to relinquish the cooking at the kitchen, but may need someone to cook as a backup.
“All cooking must done here on site,” Richardson said. Cooks must have a current food handler’s permit which is available through the city.
Richardson said he gets requests from individuals who need community service hours, but that is on an on-the-spot basis. Even though Richardson serves at specific hours every day, there are a lot of things needed to behind the scenes, Lack said.
“We need help keeping the pantry organized, help when food is dropped off (from donors), rotating the food and making sure everything is in date, along with assistance with cleanup,” she added.
Richardson outlined the daily schedule for the kitchen, along with procedures he goes by to keep things running smoothly and in an orderly manner, along with what he would expect from volunteers. He also talked about a few of the regulars who visit the soup kitchen to get a hot meal who have now begun volunteering as well.
In addition to the need for helping hands, Lack talked about the financial help Richardson could use to help keep the doors open and the lights on. Lack said she would love to see 30 individuals donate $20 per month to help with the soup kitchen, as that amount would cover the rent Richardson pays for the building out of his pocket.
The meeting ended with one volunteer prepared to be a backup cook, and with two volunteers who will come one or two days per week to organize the pantry, and one volunteer who said they would help be an administrator on the soup kitchen’s Facebook page, which is www.facebook.com/TheSoupKitchenOfCopperasCove. The Copperas Cove Soup Kitchen still needs volunteers. Those who are interested should call Rebecca Lack at (254) 760-3963.