Lent is almost here, and do you really want to give up chocolate or meat or soda or wine for 40 days this spring? This year, there’s a guilt-free way to observe Lent that allows you to continue indulging.
Instead of giving something up, the Soup Kitchen of Muncie is asking you to give something away during its fourth-annual 40 Days of Giving Food Drive, March 5 to April 19.
People can participate in the daily food drive as an individual or as a group, and you can give food or money to the Soup Kitchen of Muncie (SKOM), according to executive director Kristina Houk.
Generosity and sacrifice are universal values that unite every faith community and cultures across the world, and all are invited to participate, regardless of whether you observe Lent or not.
With food prices going up, donations will have an especially important impact this year, according to Houk. There are people in our community who depend on the Soup Kitchen, and donors can help make certain that they receive a hot meal each day, regardless of inflation.
“We’ve made it easy for you to contribute, with two options for supporting the Soup Kitchen,” Houk said. “No matter how you choose to participate, we value your donation. You’re making a big impact in the lives of your neighbors and you’re helping to reduce hunger and suffering in Muncie.”
In 2024, the Soup Kitchen served almost 96,000 meals to people in need, representing a 20 percent increase over the year before.
How to participate
There are two ways to participate:
- Pledge a daily donation. Avoid the grocery store and let us do the shopping! Pledge a dollar amount each day for 40 days. Submit online at soupkitchenofmuncie.org/donate, or write a check payable to the Soup Kitchen of Muncie, P.O Box 68, Muncie IN, 47308.
- Collect items from the Wish List. Set up a donation box in your home, office or place of worship. Add one item to the wish list per day for the 40 days. Deliver the items during designated drop off times at the end of Lent.
We’ll even deliver a donation box to you!
For this year’s 40 Days of Giving, the Soup Kitchen is offering to deliver a donation box right to you and pick it up when it’s full.
Simply place the box in your home, business, or place of worship for others to drop off Wish List items. If you’re short on space, you can also take a special soup can with a QR code on it so that your friends, family, and coworkers can donate directly to the Soup Kitchen.
To receive a box email Board President Dottie Kreps at dkreps1918@gmail.com.
Wish list
The wish list is as follows: gift cards to local grocery stores to help us buy fresh produce; individual packaged snacks, such as chips, cookies, granola bars, or trail mix; applesauce or fruit cups; Jello or pudding cups; dry pasta, such as egg noodles, macaroni, or spaghetti; tuna pouches; canned meat, such as chicken, tuna, beef, or pork; paper lunch sacks.
Designated drop-off times
- Thursday, April 17: 1-3 p.m., at the Soup Kitchen of Muncie, 920 E. Charles St.
- Saturday, April 19: 9-11 a.m., at the Soup Kitchen of Muncie, 920 E. Charles St.