Grace’s Community Kitchen serves nearly over 800 free meals every month for people in need in the Cortez area.
The soup kitchen at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church will host a “Soups of Cortez” fundraiser April 28 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 110 W. North St. to help cover costs and increasing demand.
The event features to-go specialty soups made by chefs from Grace’s Kitchen and The Farm Bistro.
The menu includes Red Chile Pork Posole by Sylvia Clahchischilli; Carrot Coconut Soup by The Farm Bistro; Green Chili and Sausage Soup, by Pete Montano (of Pepperheads); Korean Beef Stew by Ann Haspels; and Egg Drop Soup, Papa Pomadoro (Tomato Bread Soup) and French onion soup by Jerry and Mike Hart.
Soups are $10 suggested donation for a pint of your choice. It includes a dessert. The soup will be served chilled to take home, heat up and serve. There are vegetarian and vegan options. Please order ahead by calling (970) 565-7865.
“We want to highlight the fare made by great chefs in this special event that will help generate the revenue to keep the soup kitchen going,” said the Rev. Doug Bleyle.
Organizer and chef Micheal Hart said the event is a spin off of Soups of the World, a past charity event put on by his father, Jerry Hart, a longtime volunteer at soup kitchens. That event ended because of the pandemic.
“It was so popular we decided to bring it back and involve local businesses,” said Mike Hart, who volunteers as a cook for Grace’s and is a chef at the Farm Bistro. “I take inspiration from my father, not everything has to be commercial, it’s about helping people, just like breathing, everyone needs to eat.”
There has been more people relying at the soup kitchen, Bleyle said, especially since cuts in federal food programs hit in March.
The soup kitchen is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at noon. It typically serves 70 to 90 people per day, up from 50 to 70 per day, Bleyle said.
“We have seen a definite uptick,” he said.
The program relies on donations and help from about 50 volunteers. St. Barnabas provides the commercial kitchen space and venue for serving the meals.
A special event is being planned this summer to honor the soup kitchen’s 25-year anniversary.
For more information or to donate, email office@stbarnabascortez.org.
