Soup Kitchen Feeds More Than Hungry Bellies

It's like clock work.

Every Monday through Friday, rain or shine, 84-year-old Theresa Gladden rises before the sun to arrive at the Brownsville Soup Kitchen at 5:00 a.m. to start prepping the days meal. She and handful of other volunteers feed and average of 75 people lunch everyday.

Gladden, who has been directing the Kitchen since its inception in 1984, is quick to give others the credit.

“Well, it gives me something to do,” she said. “There are so many people who make this program a success.”

And, she is right! More than 20 area churches, plus community Organizations, support her work with financial gifts, food and paper donations, and volunteer hours. Even local government has joined her mission by providing space and utilities in its borough building.

“The volunteers and the people we serve are just like a big family,” said Gladden. “We have really gotten to know these people!”

While many financially needy individuals and families are served by the Brownsville Soup Kitchen, others come and leave donations to pay for their meals.

“We have a lot of older folks who come here so they don’t have to eat alone,” Gladden said. “And, that ís okay. Everyone is welcome!”

Meals on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday also include lunches for mentally handicapped people from neighboring Uniontown, Pennsylvania who come to a nearby drop-in center.

The Brownsville Soup Kitchen has grown in other ways over the last 19 years. Last year, for instance, the Kitchen organized a “Coats for the Needy” drive, collecting enough donations to provide over 200 vouchers.  With the vouchers, individuals without winter coats could go to local retailers and purchase brand-new coats.

In all, more than 100 families are helped beyond meals. The Soup Kitchen serves as a place to receive Salvation Army vouchers and as a used clothing distribution center. It also uses people who need to provide volunteer hours for community service. This includes young people in school who have broken the law and received community service as part of the sentencing.

Gladden is especially proud of their Christmas-time outreach, which provided 385 children with brand-new toys and clothing.

“I sit on the Board of Community Action,” said Gladden. “They see to it that all our needs are met. They also help us to get together with other organizations to make all this possible.”

While Gladden concedes that her tireless work helps a lot of people, she is quick to add, “I get a lot out of this experience too!”

The Brownsville Soup Kitchen was an Andrew C. Murray Peacemaking Award winner in Redstone Presbytery.

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