Loaves and Fishes, a soup kitchen, will lose its location at Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist Church on Oct. 1.
The church, which has provided space to Loaves and Fishes since 2012, “decided to end its hosting partnership,” according to a post published to the soup kitchen’s Facebook group.
Loaves and Fishes, which provides free meals to anyone who is hungry, now must find an alternative location.
The decision follows an ongoing discussion between the church, city of Columbia and Loaves and Fishes about the soup kitchen possibly moving to the new Ashley Street Center, once construction there is complete.
Ruth O’Neill, Loaves and Fishes’ coordinator, said she was under the impression that the soup kitchen would be able to operate at the church until those renovations were finished. However, she received an email from a church representative Saturday with the Oct. 1 deadline.
Work on the Ashley Street Center is expected to be completed in time to open Nov. 1, Shane Creech, director of Columbia’s Public Works Department, said during a public meeting held July 25. That would leave Loaves and Fishes in the lurch for at least a month, even if a contract with the city is finalized.
We’re talking to the city about Ashley street center, but until things are finalized everything is always in talking,” O’Neill said.
Dianna Douglas, chair of the church council, said, the “decision was not made lightly, as we have thoroughly enjoyed being part of Loaves and Fishes by hosting it for the past 10 years. However, we have to think about the interest of the North Central Neighborhood which has dealt with a lot during this time.”
Douglas said the church supports Loaves and Fishes and its mission.
“We do care about what happens to them,” she said.
O’Neill emphasized that Loaves and Fishes is not closing.
She said the church is willing to allow Loaves and Fishes to continue using its kitchen as long as the food is served elsewhere.
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The soup kitchen is open year-round with dinner available seven days a week. Loaves and Fishes has no paid staff, meaning it relies on volunteers from faith-based and community groups to provide and serve food to an average of 100 people a night.
Patty Avery has been volunteering for 10 years, and she said what keeps her going is knowing that she’s helping good people in the community.
“We know who they are, we know their names, they stop and visit with us. They are super over the top appreciative. They tell us over and over again thank you and how they’ve enjoyed the meal,” Avery said.
“A lot of the people that eat at Loaves and Fishes are not homeless, but they are food insecure,” O’Neill said. “They are barely hanging on by their fingernails to be able to be housed and take care of their needs, and they cannot do every meal. Even if they’ve got food stamps, they run out.”
O’Neill has reached out to a number of local organizations, looking for an alternative location. She is concerned about the soup kitchen’s lack of funds and the need for a central location that would be accessible by public transport.
She said she is grateful for Loaves and Fishes’ years at the church, although she wished it had more time to make the transition.
“They’ve done more for this town in the last 10 years than any other single organization as far as helping folks that are in need,” O’Neill said.
And she’s hoping the community will help the soup kitchen with this transition.
“There’s a lot of people who would like to help and there’s a lot of people who are wishing us luck,” O’Neill said. “I don’t know what that translates into, because we’re just kind of figuring this out as we go.”
“If anybody has any really, really good ideas, I would be happy to talk to them,” O’Neill said. “We will figure something out. We’re not going to close.”
KOMU 8 Reporter Julius Evans contributed to this story.