Soup Kitchens have a longstanding community history in the United States dating back to the late 1800's. Businesses and other groups have always stepped up to support members of their own communities who need a little extra help and Thrive DC is no different. Through our Daily Bread / Daily Needs program Thrive DC provides hot meals to over 200 individuals each weekday.  This huge task is a team effort combining the support of donors, local food vendors, volunteers, and staff.  As with any group project, we are only as strong as the support we receive so I encourage you to consider supporting Thrive DC or a Soup Kitchen near you.

Ten Reasons to Support Soup Kitchens

10. America’s Second Harvest, the nation’s major food bank network, annually provides food to over 23 million people. That is more than the population of the state of Texas.

9. Average hot meal costs are below $2.00 at most Soup Kitchens because of the support they receive from volunteers and donors.

8. More than enough food is wasted each year than is needed to feed all of our nation’s hungry. The USDA recently found that about 96 billion pounds of food available for human consumption in the United States were thrown away by retailers, restaurants, farmers and households over the course of one year. Fresh fruits and vegetables, fluid milk, grain products, and sweeteners accounted for 2/3 of these losses.

*Ask the restaurants that you visit if they participate in a Food Rescue Program to reduce the amount of food they throw away.

7. Hunger affects how people view their communities and their lives.

6. 5.6 million households obtained emergency food from food pantries at least once during 2009. In 2008 alone, a rise of about 6% in the price of groceries has led the poor to adopt a variety of survival strategies, from buying food that is beyond its expiration date to visiting food banks.

5. Hunger affects how people perform at work and their health. Hungry adults miss more work and consume more health care than those who don’t go hungry.

4. Hunger affects how children perform in school.

3. One and five children go hungry every month. Kids who experience hunger are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, behavior problems, and other illness.

2. In 2009, 50.2 million Americans (up from 35.5 million in 2006), including 17.2 million children, were food insecure, or didn’t have the money or assistance to get enough food to maintain active, healthy lives.

1. Without your support Soup Kitchens are unable to provide services to the men, women, and children who visit them.

*This list was adapted from “The Facts About Hunger” (www.wickliffe.net/greersoupkitchen/facts) and "11 Facts about Hunger in the U.S." (www.dosomething.org)