I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has come forward to help the Patchogue Neighbors INN these past few weeks. We have had a nice response to our requests for help from members of the Patchogue community.
Running a soup kitchen is no easy task; its success depends entirely on the volunteers who give of their time and on those who support it with their donations. Each week hundred of guests are able to receive a hot and nutritious meal by visiting one or more of our local soup kitchens.
One of the most common misconceptions about soup kitchens is that they only serve soup, bread and water. This portrayal of a typical soup kitchen can be traced back to the media images of depression-era bread lines stretching for blocks in places like Hell’s Kitchen and the Bowery.
In fact a contemporary soup kitchen bears little resemblance to those of the Great Depression. Today soup kitchens usually serve full-course meals, provide information about and assistance with emergency shelter, dispense toiletries and clothes and, sometimes, have locker rooms equipped with showers.
Today’s modern soup kitchens still serve the same purpose as those of the past. Travel outside of Patchogue and you will find soup kitchens in many, many communities. Each is staffed by unpaid volunteers who understand the value of helping those in need.
So thanks again to all who have offered their help. Without your continued support we would not be able to continue the tradition of serving meals and providing other services to those in need.
