Soup kitchen volunteers work 7,300 hours yearly

Voices echo around a bustling room as men and women of all ages prepare tables in a dim dining room. From the kitchen, the rattling of dishes and shouts indicate a lively environment.

This is the daily afternoon scene at the Community Kitchen of Monroe County, where volunteers like Andy Hill prepare for the daily supper.

“I heard about the kitchen from a co-worker, and I have been volunteering here for a
year,” Hill said.

Vicki Pierce, executive director of the Community Kitchen of Monroe County, estimates that there are up to 70 volunteers weekly who put in 7,300 hours yearly.

“I love coming here because I enjoy the food,” Pierce said. “It’s a fabulous environment to be part of. I love working with the people in the kitchen and giving back to the community.”

One of the main contributors in creating the warm meals for the kitchen is kitchen supervisor Eric Patterson.

Patterson said the food from the Community Kitchen of Monroe County is not “typical soup-kitchen food.” He said that the meals here are freshly prepared, and soup is rarely served.

“We work hard to provide the best meals with what we get from the community,” Patterson said.

The kitchen’s reputation for preparing the best meals with whatever they have inspires competitions like the recent Third Annual Chef’s Challenge.

Tim Cougher, assistant director of the Community Kitchen of Monroe County, said the Challenge was modeled after the show Iron Chef, which airs on the Food Network.

Cougher expressed the need for more volunteers because of the increase in demand for the soup kitchen’s assistance. He said demand has increased by 22 percent during the summer.

“I think the economic situation has to do with why our demand increased. Folks are getting kicked out of their houses (and) getting laid off, and the stress low-income families face is great,” Cougher said.

Cougher said that in a country where 27 percent of food is tossed out, there is no excuse for hunger. In Bloomington, the soup kitchen is fortunate to have a close partner on its side in the fight against hunger, Hoosier Hills Food Bank.

“For me there is no better reward than giving out meals to kids,” Cougher said. “There is instant feedback, and that’s what I work for every day.”