Optimist Club donates to local soup kitchen
Fri, 2016-01-29 05:00
News Staff
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
Leaders from a number of local nonprofits and volunteer organizations had a meeting of the minds last Saturday to keep each other updated on their latest activities, along with future endeavors.
The meeting took place at the Copperas Cove Soup Kitchen, this time with Sandor Vegh of the Optimist Club attending along with Harvey Jones of the Jno G. Lewis Masonic Lodge.
Vegh presented Soup Kitchen director Patrick Richardson with a $50 check from the Optimist Club, its first monthly $50 contribution. Vegh also shared about the Optimist Club’s thrift store that is open every Friday and Saturday, and how that group provides assistance to locals.
Regulars who attended the meeting included Maureen Jouett with Bring Everyone in the Zone, Jonathan Haywood and John Robinson with Star Group-Veterans Helping Veterans, as well as Samuel and Melissa Thorpe.
Jones shared about what the Jno G. Lewis Lodge does in the community, and offered his support to the soup kitchen.
“Whatever you need from us, if you need some help, we’ll come in. We’ll pick up trash, just let us know,” Jones said. “For Thanksgiving, our lodge raised enough to give a whole meal to 40 families. They were happy to get them, because there’s a lot of people down and out.”
Jones said lately his group has also held soul food dinners to raise money.
“We’re going back to the community, like our community is doing for us,” he added. “When we say we’re going to do something, we do it.”
The discussion also turned to job training and job opportunities, both for veterans and civilians alike. All the groups have encountered individuals who are looking for a job, or a better-paying job.
“There’s many people who come thorugh this door every day,” Thorpe said. “They have many talents.”
Haywood brought up Operation Good Jobs, a program conducted by Heart of Texas Goodwill.
“It’s an excellent program,” Haywood said, adding his groups has sent people asking about job searches to that facility. “Whether you’re military or civilian, they’ll do your resume for free. They have computers and everything. But it’s a shame we have to send them all the way to Harker Heights to do that.”
Some of the discussion surrounded ways the groups can keep better in touch with activities the others are holding to show their support. Vegh said he would like to see a communication system somehow among local groups, so people won’t find out about an event after the fact, by reading about it in the paper. Vegh gave a recent example of the pancake breakfast fundraiser held by the kitchen that he didn’t know about.
Joann Courtland, director of Operation Stand Down Central Texas, shared about the upcoming grand opening of their new space in Cove Terrace Shopping Center, along with the pancake breakfast fundraiser they have planned the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend in May.
Courtland said that while her group’s focus is primarily on homeless veterans in Central Texas, they will not turn anyone away who needs clothing, for example. Jouett echoed that remark, saying BEITZ provides assistance in the same way. However, financial assistance is reserved for veterans due to the type of funding BEITZ receives. Jouett added that her group has recently joined the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce.
Thorpe collected names of group representatives along with email addresses to maintain a contact list of local resources, along with letting the groups know about upcoming meetings.
Other group leaders and representatives are always welcome to join at the discussions and time of sharing, which will be held monthly. For more information, call (254) 781-1960 or email thecopperascovesoupkitchen@gmail.com.