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Photos Vincent Guadazno
SKIP volunteers, from left to right: Chris Pula, Carol Bishop, Larry Moodry, Sandy Fay, Chuck Griffeth, Sharon Daly, Bill Beacham, Stan Sylvain and Jonathan Santy. |
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Kitchen coordinator Sandy Fay with her bible, ÒThe Joy of Cooking.Ó |
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Soup's on
Provincetown Soup Kitchen serves big helpings of comfort to those in need
By Melora B. North
Banner Staff
PROVINCETOWN - Don't let the name fool you; the Soup Kitchen in Provincetown is anything but a soup kitchen. It is a social gathering place where guests receive a full, hot meal, soup to nuts.
ÒWe consistently provide comfort for seniors, food for people who donÕt have homes, locals,Ó says kitchen coordinator Sandy Fay. ÒItÕs free but we accept donations. People get up and play instruments. ItÕs a way for people to get out and socialize.Ó
Generally preparing food for a group of 60, Fay says the average has been 50 since the kitchen opened for the season a couple of weeks ago at the United Methodist Church on Shank Painter Road. ÒLast year the average was in the high 60s,Ó says Fay. ÒLast year we had as many as 80 people.Ó
The meal is served at 12:30 p.m., and if the food isnÕt all gone by 1:15 p.m. Fay says they offer another helping for those still dining. And if there is more food after that they bundle up leftovers to take home. No one leaves hungry.
SKIP board chair Wayne Ryerson says the soup kitchen, now in its 16th year, was originally set up at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House and then moved to St. MaryÕs of the Harbor. They have been at the Methodist Church for about 12 years now, where there are two paid positions, the kitchen coordinator and the office administrator. Part-time jobs, both slots are filled by Fay.
Never formally trained in the food service industry, Fay, a former assistant analyst for a Hartford insurance company, got her feet wet when she and a friend had a catering truck in Connecticut which they parked in front of the Aetna Insurance Company building for the breakfast and lunch hour rushes then moved over to the carousel for afternoon concerts. She has worked as a breakfast cook at a local inn and did some cooking one summer at the Boatslip.
Those experiences under her belt, Fay, who has been in town for 16 years, is happy to share her talents, aided by a volunteer staff that she says she is Òthrilled with.Ó
ÒThe volunteers (who have taken a pledge of confidentiality) are a close-knit family,Ó she says. ÒWe have a lot of fun. We do potlucks, movies, sometimes we have game night.Ó But it is in the kitchen that they really bond when preparing the homemade soups, salads, entrŽes and vegetables that are accompanied by dessert, soda, juice, coffee and tea.
ÒNo one person cooks one thing. We all take part under the direction of the chef of the day who decides what to prepare,Ó she says. ÒWe work as a team.Ó Trying to plan menus one month in advance, Fay says, ÒThe menu is a moving target depending on what IÕve got. We have to decide what to make by what we have on hand.Ó With a generous restaurant community there are sometimes gourmet surprises that throw the team off balance but they muddle through. And it is the teamÕs resilience that makes for a rewarding challenge that tickles the taste buds.
ÒWe have off-the-cuff recipes,Ó explains Fay. ÒThese are creative people who come up with ideas.Ó In fact, this year the group is attempting to document recipes in an effort to compile a cookbook for next year. ÒWe have asked volunteers to submit recipes Ñ there is a plea for recipes.Ó And volunteers neednÕt worry about portion control; Fay has a computer program that scientifically translates family portions to accommodate multiplied use.
With volunteers working short shifts (9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for prep and 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. to serve and clean up), there is no shortage of help. In fact, board director Wayne Ryerson estimates there are 60 to 70 volunteers. According to Ryerson, some people work both shifts with perennial volunteer Betty Atkins, now in her 80s, always on hand to play hostess, greet the guests and give out tickets so that Fay can keep track of how many are served.
Food comes from local restaurants, the Boston Food Bank and private donations. ÒThis fall we got cases and cases of soft drinks from the Boatslip,Ó says Ryerson. ÒIn January more restaurants will close and we may get more food. We have a bunch of freezers.Ó
Funds for the purchase of additional food come from grants and, again, local businesses, as well as the boxes that are placed around town, an appeals letter sent out twice a year to taxpayers and the annual Souper Saturday benefit being held this year on Dec. 1 at the Crown and Anchor. This May the high school students will raise funds when they walk in Project BreadÕs Walk for Hunger up in Boston. ÒSometimes the church will bring in food, usually casseroles or lasagna. Their volunteers bring it and serve it,Ó says Ryerson.
Serving meals Monday through Friday, the Soup Kitchen is open on Thanksgiving and Christmas when Ryerson says even the policemen drop by for a hot meal and a chat with the locals. ÒOn Thanksgiving weÕll have all the trimmings,Ó he says. ÒThe same for Christmas when weÕll pass out gifts donated by the Interfaith Council. ItÕs a fun thing to do on Christmas. ThereÕs usually piano entertainment.
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Describing the Soup Kitchen and church marriage as Òa nice little community,Ó Ryerson expounds, ÒYou can easily walk or bike here. ItÕs a nice fit with the church. There is parking, a thrift shop, AA. The Interfaith Council for the Homeless comes by once a week to help people with housing; theyÕve been very successful. The VNA van comes by once a month to do health screenings.Ó
In a nutshell, it is a community that services the basic needs of the locals who stop by.
ÒItÕs an interesting mix of people,Ó says Ryerson. ÒYoung people out of work, seniors, singles, regulars. No questions asked, thereÕs no criteria for who gets a free meal.Ó
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Nov 22nd, 2007