You Are Here » Home \
Ministries \
Outreach \
Soup Kitchen [View Printable Page]
One of the Outreach Commission’s long standing activities in the community is preparing evening meals at the Salvation Army Shelter on Ridge Street in downtown Charlottesville. Parishioners prepare and serve dinner on three Fridays each month, plus the fifth Fridays four times in the year. Other churches provide evening meals on the remaining nights so that the hungry are offered dinner every night.
COOS parishioners form volunteer teams of 5-8 workers that serve once per month. With funds budgeted from the Vestry, the soup kitchen team purchases the food items needed for the meal and brings them to the Salvations Army kitchen. The meal is prepared and cooked on site in the kitchen, and served to individuals and families staying at the Salvation Army Shelter, the Center of Hope Transitional Housing, or anyone who drops in needing a meal.
Each team decides on a menu and keeps that same menu each time they cook. This creates a variety of meals and prevents repetition. The three monthly teams from COOS in turn prepare as entrées pepperoni casserole, hamburgers, or spaghetti, along with sides of vegetables, salad, bread, fruit and drinks. Food preparation begins at 5:00 p.m. and is completed by 6:00 p.m. when serving gets underway. The meal ends at 7:00 p.m. Individuals staying in the housing at the Salvation Army give back by doing the dishwashing and cleaning up the kitchen and dining room when dinner is over.
Serving on a Salvation Army team is a way to serve those in need in our community by providing sustenance, a smile, and letting them know that we care.
“Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”
St. Francis of Assisi
Home 
