ANDERSON, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – The Anderson Soup Kitchen opens its doors at 10:45 a.m. every day to anyone seeking a hot meal. No questions are asked. The kitchen closes at 12:15 p.m., but volunteers say donations of food and money are needed to keep meals on the table.
“All of the food in this pantry will last two to three days. Then it’s gone,” said Ivy Davis, the kitchen’s operations manager and head cook.
More people are seeking help
Davis said the kitchen served about 60 to 70 people a day before moving to its current location on South Main Street. Now, she said, the number ranges from 100 to 200 people a day, depending on whether the bus is running.
“Food insecurity is an issue all over the country, and I realize that. However, here in Anderson, it has gotten way, way worse,” Davis said.
The kitchen serves one hot meal a day, which Davis said may be the only meal some visitors eat that day.
“We have people coming in here from their homes, senior citizens, the children that are not in school. And the homeless. Those that are working, the working poor, some of them come here and get a lunch and go to work,” Davis said. “It’s a sad situation.”
The kitchen needs monetary donations and supplies, including canned goods and paper towels, Davis said. A recent donation from Second Harvest Church helped replenish supplies after they ran low, she said.
Visitors rely on daily meals
Anderson resident Michael Campbell said he visits the kitchen almost every day.
“I’m pretty down. I ain’t got a whole lot. And when I come up here, it helps me. And they’re really nice people. They’re really good people,” Campbell said.
Patricia Jackson, who has led several local initiatives to help those facing homelessness, has volunteered at the kitchen for about nine years. She said she understands how difficult it can be to go without basic necessities. She said she experienced homelessness three times in her life, totaling about a year and a half, including two periods when her children were with her.
“There were no resources. There was no soup kitchen or no food pantries. And it got really, really hard,” Jackson said.
Jackson said many people who visit the kitchen are working residents trying to save money to pay their bills. She said the number of people seeking help from the kitchen and area food pantries continues to grow.
“That line is just keep coming, keep coming, keep coming. One day I was so tired. I was like, Lord, help me, Jesus,” Jackson said.
Food pantry also needs help
Marion Simpson, who manages the food pantry at Anderson First Seventh-day Adventist Church, said he brings extra supplies to the soup kitchen when he can, but the donations are not enough to meet the need.
“I’m in need of volunteers. We need canned goods, dried goods, you know, paper towels, toiletries, stuff like that,” Simpson said.
Simpson said the number of people served by his food pantry has grown from about 140 to more than 200.
Jackson said people can also help by showing kindness to others.
“You never know. One day you might be here, and the next day you might be down there,” Jackson said.
Those who want to help can find more information about donating to the Anderson Soup Kitchen here and the food pantry here.
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