THE CROWD lined up long before the meal was to be served, and little food, if any, remained as a late child asked for a to-go plate. They were gone, consumed by those struggling to make ends meet at a time when many are forced to decide which life necessities go unpaid this month: rent, utilities, gas, medicine, or groceries. Food insecurity is all around us. Perhaps none know this better than our community’s homeless.
Since opening its doors in 2016, Shelbyville Community Soup Kitchen has existed to attempt to bridge the hunger gap. The kitchen’s first meal served 12 people, and today serves approximately 180 to 190 meals at each dinner. Unhindered by the pandemic, the kitchen served to-go orders from the parking lot of the old Save-A-Lot building, and in a single day, 215 orders went out. An estimated 40-50,000 meals have been provided since 2016!
Today’s meals are served at the kitchen’s home, within walking distance of the Duck River Bridge. Many come and go by car, and others walk to the afternoon dinners. Some are homeless; many are not.
Many others come to serve in whatever ways they are able. The volunteer calendar is booked for 2023, and only a few spots remain for 2024. Churches, youth groups, civic organizations, and individuals serve, cook, and clean, adding a smile or a kind word to the day’s menu. Every heart and hand is blessed.
Angelique Quinlan is a Tuesday regular, drawn to the kitchen to give back out of thanksgiving for her own recovery from addiction. A hairstylist by trade, you’ll find her behind a donated barber’s chair offering free haircuts on Tuesdays. When the cape comes off, the transformation is complete. Her cloak is out of sight, but she is a true superhero among many who bring goodness and humanity to those who come.
Humanity also comes in Ziploc bags filled with health and hygiene supplies. Socks sometimes round out the bags, a gift valued way beyond their retail costs.
An area homeless man gratefully explained that the bags humanized him and the socks were as much, if not more, necessary than a good tent. He and his friend talked of going two to three days between meals at times and are thankful for the kitchen’s presence in the community. His friend added, “We look forward to it like Christmas.”
Speaking of Christmas, remember the child asking for a plate after all was gone? At the same time, a third homeless man was leaving, a to-go plate in hand. Overhearing the conversation, he stopped and gave his plate to the child.
With school out for the summer and many children missing the meals provided by the schools, the kitchen added a Monday lunch in June, serving from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. They deliver extra meals to an area homeless shelter four days a week, all possible through donations of time, money, and resources from the community, including more than 200 volunteers and more than 20 area churches.
They come hungry, but everyone involved leaves filled and refueled by hope and kindness.
Yes, it really is more blessed to give than to receive. GN
The Shelbyville Community Soup Kitchen is at 336 S. Cannon Blvd., Shelbyville, and may be reached at (931) 735-6122. Meals are served Mondays from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-4:30 p.m. For more information, follow the kitchen on Facebook or go to shelbyvillesoupkitchen.org. Donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 2259, Shelbyville, TN 37162.
Donations of the following staples are always needed:
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Salted butter
- Self-rising cornmeal
- Self-rising flour
- Dawn dishwashing liquid
- Bleach
- Stainless steel or copper scrubbers
- 18” aluminum foil
- 6-inch foam plates for dessert
- Chlorox disinfectant wipes
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- 14 or 16 ounce cups
- Salt
- Pepper
- Tony’s Creole seasoning
- Paper towels
- Any gallon-sized canned food items (#10 sized)
