Saturday, April 26, 2008

Souper Saturday

"Good soup is one of the prime ingredients of good living. For soup can do more to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any other one dish." ---Louis P. DeGouy

Today is "Souper Saturday" at my church. Noel is located in a historical neighborhood in Shreveport. But, over the years, the area that was once the heart of the city has become a transitional area filled with rental houses and lower-income residents. Many of the people living in the area are elderly or disabled in some way and have their meals delivered to them by "Meals on Wheels". This is a great service, but it doesn't deliver food at all on weekends. That's where our church comes in. On the last Saturday of each month, we deliver soup to residents who otherwise might not have a nutritious meal for the weekend---Souper Saturday.
It's a relatively easy job--One person volunteers to cook a big pot of soup (we actually make homemade soup--not Campbell's in a can) and the rest of us show up on Saturday morning about 9:30 and deliver it to 50-60 nearby residents.

Lately, Cindy and I have been delivering to a large subsidized high-rise housing project that is across town. The first time we went there, be both forgot our reading glasses, so we spent as much time laughing about straining to see as we did actually delivering the soup. Today, things went quite smoothly---everything delivered in less than 45 minutes. We enjoyed seeing Miss Lillian, who comes to the door dressed in a pretty floral dress each time and always brightens our day more than we could possibly brighten hers. And then there is Mr. Frank---after delivering to him, we remembered that the office had instructed us to leave his there for him to pick up because he sometimes surprises visitors by greeting them in his birthday suit!! (note to self----read the fine print on the list!!!). Fortunately, he stayed behind his door as he opened it to us and all was well.

It was a good morning! After delivering soup to one elderly lady, the door was closed and she began talking to the woman who was there to help her make a grocery list. As we waited for her next door neighbor come to the door, we could hear her tell how much she likes to have the soup ladies come and how they always bring her soup on her birthday! Now, I have no idea when her birthday is, but apparently it made her feel like she was having a special day!! . . . and that makes it worthwhile.
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