The Cortez First United Methodist church is sponsoring a “SOUPer Bowl Sunday” food can drive for the Hope soup kitchen.
Free meals are served three days a week at Hope’s Kitchen at noon. The soup kitchen is located at 515 N. Park St. in Cortez.
The soup kitchen needs cans of corn, beans, diced tomatoes, and other tomato products. The community is being asked for donations this time. So, plan ahead, when you are shopping between now and Feb. 2, please pick up some large 10 cans of vegetables that can be used at Hope’s Kitchen.
Cans may be delivered to Hampton Hall at the Methodist Church on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 9 to 3, or on “Souper Bowl Sunday”, Feb. 2, from 8:30 am until noon. Please bring the cans to the south entrance of Hampton Hall because the kitchen and pantry are in that part of the church.
The number of hungry people being served each day ranges from 65 to 165. Different cooks and volunteers handle the duties on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Larry (“the Lutheran”) Gessner heads up the operation and maintains a well-organized pantry and walk-in freezer. The community effort of Hope’s Kitchen is truly a community-wide effort. Breads, desserts, and other foods are donated from three local grocery stores. The church has a grant from the Daniels Fund in Denver that helps to provide local meat. Funds come in from various sources and other churches in the community. When food donations are received that are not useful for the soup kitchen (like cereal, breakfast items, or TV dinners) Gessner shares those items with “The Bridge”, WINGS safehouse, or other agencies in the community.
If you prefer to send a monetary contribution instead of cans, please send your check to the church at PO Box 1016, Cortez, CO 81321 and indicate on the memo line: “Hope’s Kitchen.”
Questions can be answered by Mary McKean (970-565-7990) and Eleanor Kuhl (970-564-0708), who are co-chairs of the Mission Team at the Cortez First United Methodist Church.
