Pastor                                                                                                Soup Kitchen

churchoffice@fbcbangor.org

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People ate at the Soup Kitchen for a variety of reasons.  Some were homeless and were seeking a meal in a friendly, judgement free environment.  We've talked with some folks who had little money left in their budget after they pay their rent so they ate regularly at the Soup Kitchen to make the money stretch a little further.  Some were lonely and like the company.  I talked with a retired guy who said he had no idea how much was involved with cooking meals until he was suddenly left in the position of having to do all his own cooking.  He said he was very grateful for the groups who cook for the Soup Kitchen, especially when the food made was so good.

So please, all of you who devoted so much of your time and effort to doing this project, feel good about what you were doing.  You were making a positive difference in people's lives.

 

January 9, 2025  Soup Kitchen

January 9, 2025 was the date of a recent soup Kitchen and the date of my final soup kitchen as the leader for the group at First Baptist.  Decades ago when my daughter was young, she and I made desserts for the group which was led by Gerry Pickard.  He was such a good person and I tried to get him and Ray Homchuck to teach me how to make a meal for a large group and do it with kindness.   They would have been proud of the group we have today.

 

Thank you to the people there that Thursday: Jane Ogilvie, Everett Goodwin, Judy Pruszenski and her daughter, Donna Beatty, Tom Gilbert, Mabelle Miller, Kathy Gowell, Trish Sanders, Brenda Cheney, Stacey Taylor, Sylvia Chase.  Thanks to the dessert makers, Erika Bailey, Tom Gilbert and Brenda Cheney.  While the folks listed above were making sandwiches, John Cheney, Kate Roseberry and Erika were making and serving  South Park soup over at the Salvation Army.

You all were so good at doing the sandwiches for the bag lunches, it was certainly a shame to end this mission.  I am hoping you will soon get an e-mail saying that someone has volunteered to coordinate the efforts, but I can't say that yet and I really can't do it myself right now.

Thank you all for making this such a worthwhile project.  It has, indeed, been my pleasure.

Karen​

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Thursday, February 13

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I would like to let you all know that I have been working with Karen in order to become the new coordinator for the Soup Kitchen/Sandwich Making which we do each month for the Salvation Army. Nobody can take Karen's place, but I will do my best at this, and with your continued support and your patience we will keep this mission going.

 

Thank you all for your continued support and service to the Soup Kitchen.  It would not work at all without you!  

 

Looking forward

Pam Frye

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Dear Salvation Army personnel,

We regret to have to inform you that the First Baptist Church of Bangor will, starting May 2025, no longer be providing the meals at the Salvation Army.  It has been decades now that we have been at the Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen on the second Thursday of each month and many other times as requested.  Throughout this time, we have striven not only to provide good, nutritious meals that were made with love, but to serve them with kindness.  We have grown very concerned for, and attached to, the population in Bangor who live in poverty and look to the Salvation Army's Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen as a place for a warm and tasty meal, and a place where the people who serve the meal were kind and friendly.

Over the years we have recruited people to work with us and have received donations so that we could prepare quality food in ample portions.  Some of us have already received education on handling, preparing, and serving food safely from courses we took on our own from the University of Maine's Cooperative Extension Service because we share your concern for food safety.  We feel, however, that with your kitchen protocol changes, it would be difficult for us to provide our meals any longer. 

 

It is a service we always have greatly enjoyed providing.  We have no shortage of lovely memories of working together as a team with you to create and serve the meals at the Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen.  We wish you the best of luck in your future, and we will pray for you and for the people served.  In the meanwhile, we will try to find something more in line with what our volunteers can comfortably do.

Blessings,

Karen Bailey and Pam Frye
First Baptist Church of Bangor

Hello Everyone,

Starting May 1, 2025, we are no longer preparing food or bag lunches for the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen.  On April 21st I shared with you an email letter we received and responded to from the Salvation Army regarding updated protocols the Salvation Army is now having every group and every volunteer follow and adhere to.  Due to these changes, it is no longer feasible for First Baptist Church to continue to provide our meal service for them.  Opportunities to provide similar services within our community are being explored.  I will keep you all informed.

I would like to thank each and every one of you for working with First Baptist to provide fresh, nutritional meals for the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen.  Each task was important for making it work..... cutting veggies, making egg, tuna, and chicken salad for sandwich fillers, cutting rolls, making various types of sandwiches, putting together bag lunches, making labels, delivering lunches to the Salvation Army, set-up and clean up at the church, making delicious soups, making fine homemade desserts, preparing special meals during hot summer months, serving the food to those who came for a meal, the shopping for things that make this all come together, and most of all your love and kindness which was put into each meal and bagged lunch we provided.  A special thank you to Karen Bailey for selflessly sharing her home and her time, talents, and knowledge in running this mission project for so many years.  Your  devoted work and coordination have been an inspiration and a blessing to many.  Thank you.

So. We are looking into other opportunities, and I hope you will step up afresh to be a part of our new mission project, once we can get it rolling.  You are all so important and special, and we look forward to continuing to work together in friendship and fellowship.

Blessings,

Pam Frye

 

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