Trinity Soup Kitchen

Began in 1981 "when several women of center city churches realized the growing number of street people in downtown Bethlehem. They got together and made a huge pot of soup, put it in the back of a station wagon and set up shop on a downtown street corner. This went on for several weeks until they were invited inside the churches with dining room space, on a rotating basis. Finally the Trinity Soup Kitchen found a permanent home at Trinity Episcopal Church, 44 East Market St., Bethlehem.

It is still staffed by volunteers from those original churches (and a few of the original ladies) with additional volunteers from several walks of life. Some of our most dedicated workers were once guests for the lunches, who joined in this most important ministry. The original Churches, by the way, are St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, ChristChurch United Church of Christ, Wesley Methodist Church, Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Trinity Episcopal Church. We have a new Friday crew from Central Moravian Church, and one from New Covenant Christian Assembly.

The Soup Kitchen's main monetary support comes from an anonymous grant from a local foundation. In addition, we receive donations from individuals, church and civic groups, as well as proceeds from Crop Walk. The USDA Department of Donated Food offers a wide variety of products from the same program that supplies the school systems (these products are free of charge). The state food purchase program also grants each agency support according to their size. We are a member of Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley. From them we receive or purchase most of the other food items we need, along with some supplies, personal care products, cleaning products, and an interesting assortment of items donated to Second Harvest, by companies large and small. Local businesses also help with donated items. Krick's Bakery on Stefko Boulevard donates all the left-over baked goods at the end of each day and Weis Market donates all of their non-salable produce. The Masonic Temple gives us their leftover banquet food each weekend for our Monday meal. Many farmers donate fresh produce in the summer.

Other products we need must be purchased at restaurant supply stores, grocery stores, etc.

Running a soup Kitchen is like running a restaurant, with a volunteer staff, government red tape, a questionable food supply, and an uncertain amount of patrons each day. The meals we prepare, for some, will be the only meal they will have that day, so must be filling, nutritionally complete, varied and taste good! Our volunteers always rise to the challenge. It could not happen without the amazing amount of team work these wonderful folks provide, I cannot sing their praise loudly enough. I am the Coordinator, and the only person paid for running the soup kitchen by the soup kitchen.

We also have two workers paid for by the AARP, and occasionally we have folks on welfare or probation who must serve community service hours.

Our Mission Statement says, "The Trinity Soup Kitchen is pleased to serve the homeless, the temporarily unemployed, MH/MR clients and those who are economically disadvantaged."

We are open 52 weeks a year Monday-Friday, including holidays. On holidays we try to have all the traditional foods and decorations you would find elsewhere.

In 1997, "The Center at Trinity Church", a pastoral care center , opened and the soup kitchen contracts with them for guests who need counseling, but do not qualify for this help from other agencies.

We have also enlisted the help of the Bethlehem Health Bureau, several local dentists and other community agencies for additional education and aid for our guests. Some of our guests will always need our help, others can become more self-sufficient with our help. The hungers we feed here are not always for food. The daily social contact prevents loneliness for many, especially the elderly. People have developed a sense of family here and look out for each other, share information, help new people, even make sure the rules are followed! I look out for them, the volunteers look out for them, and they look out for us. Each day there are hospitality workers circulating in the dining room to help fill out papers, make referrals, just listen and sit quietly.

Volunteers are the ones who make the difference here. They get it done day in and day out five days a week, fifty-two weeks a year. They prepare the food, they serve the food, and they clean the kitchen and dining room. They talk, they listen, they care, day after day, week after week, year after year. They are a constant example of Christ's love, and they spread it around better than most ,touching the people who need it more than most .