The Soup and Bread Program is back on campus this year with a slightly different structure than has been seen in the past.† Offering new opportunities to volunteer as well as being located on a different side of campus, the revised program hopes to continue to serve as an example of Wooster studentsí commitment to serve the community.
Location of the program this year seems to be a main concern on campus.† With the closing of Kittredge Dining Hall this past year the program was forced to find a new home, and it will now be located in Mackey Hall (attached to Westminster Church House, down the street from admissions and across the street from Morgan Hall).† There, every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m, volunteers will be serving lunch.† ìWe are going to put up large directional signs,” said Kathleen Kelly í10, one of the two student coordinators for the program this year. Conveniently for many, Mackey Hall is located almost directly at the bottom of the academic quad, much closer than Kittredge Dining Hall is to that part of campus. With the program serving lunch on Tuesdays the convenient proximity to classes should draw more people.
Because the program is only being held once each week this year, as opposed to previous yearsí program of twice each week, the money donated for each swipe of the COW card is twice the amount compared to last year; meaning that for each Soup and Bread meal attended $3 is donated to those less fortunate. The ability to use less money of a single† swipe to pay for the food and more of the money to donate comes in part because of the volunteering staff running each lunch.† ìCutting out the Kittredge staffers and using volunteers instead actually helps us donate more money in the long run,” said Kelly.
Anyone can volunteer to help out; it doesnít take any special skills.† Volunteers will primarily be serving the soups, swiping the COW cards at the door and setting and cleaning up. These are all small jobs, yet extremely helpful to the program overall.† This year the program will be relying on groups and individuals to volunteer, and the success of the program will depend on the amount of support it gets from our campus community.
So far this switch to volunteers has been readily accepted and Sacher said that, ìthey are excited that the community and the administration seem so interested and invested in keeping the program going”.
Furthermore ìthe volunteering aspect will also allow more students than just two student coordinators to have more input,” said Emily Sacher, í10.† Groups such as some of the Greek societies have already decided to make volunteering at Soup and Bread part of their community service this year, and other groups are encouraged to do the same.† If you or your group want to help but donít want to serve soup, the program is also always looking for entertainment during the lunch hours and encourages anyone to volunteer in that way.
Sacher notes that the revisions to the Soup and Bread program this year are ìbig changes with a lot of big opportunities”.† By allowing more of the students to get involved with the program it is ultimately able to become more involved in the campus community.
Anyone and everyone are both welcomed and encouraged to find a way to help out with the program this year. Whether that is volunteering to serve the soup with a group of friends or your sports team, or coming and eating the soup every Tuesday, the support from the community is essential for its success this coming year.