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100 Mile soup kitchen offers meals, fellowship

The soup’s on at the New Wine Deliverance and Healing Fellowship.
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Dave Skoda serves some soup at New Wine Deliverance and Healing Fellowship’s new soup kitchen, open Wednesday’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

The soup’s on at the New Wine Deliverance and Healing Fellowship.

Every Wednesday, the public is invited to a new soup kitchen, run out of the South Cariboo Business Centre at 475 South Birch Ave. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

It’s something Dave Skoda and his wife Vicky have wanted to do for years, and say with the COVID-19 pandemic still going on, it seemed like the best time to provide people with a little support, soup and fellowship.

“I think any town would benefit from having a soup kitchen. There’s always a certain amount of a population that could use the help and use the fellowship. It’s not only for those who are financially strapped but also you hear loneliness is a bigger problem in society than poverty is,” Skoda said. “If there’s a place they can go and have a conversation over a bowl of soup, what better way to do it.”

The soup kitchen started on Nov. 4 but had a bit of a slow start due to B.C.’s new health orders and a lack of community awareness. However, Skoda said they intend to continue to offer a meal and conversation throughout 2021. He and Vicky work in the kitchen, while they will have a greeter and a half dozen servers at each event, at least until more volunteers complete their food safe courses.

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The kitchen will serve two soups every Wednesday. Last week it was minestrone and butternut squash, but other soups on the menu include potato and leek, cream of broccoli and chicken noodle, to name a few.

Skoda said they aren’t aiming to “steal customers” from restaurants and encourages those who can afford to eat out to do so.

“We’d like to see it grow into something bigger than a soup kitchen, but who knows,” he said.

The soup kitchen has the support of Loaves and Fishes, the 100 Mile Food Bank and the South Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre. Loaves and Fishes will sometimes donate bread for them to serve with the soup, Skoda said, while they’ll give them any leftover soup in takeout containers.

“It’s just a matter of wanting to be a help to a community, not wanting to be a hindrance but a help,” Vicky added. “There are so many people out there that need help in one way or the other. If people need clothes or whatever, we know people who knit toques, gloves and scarves, we can do that. We can help out in so many ways. We just want to help.”


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Dave Skoda serves some soup at New Wine Deliverance and Healing Fellowship’s new soup kitchen, open Wednesday’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)
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Dennis Smith takes some soup served by Dave Skoda at New Wine Deliverance and Healing Fellowship’s new soup kitchen, open Wednesday’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)
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Dave and Viki Skoda are in charge of cooking the food for New Wine Deliverance and Healing Fellowship’s new soup kitchen, where they make two different types of soup every day. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)
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Charlotte Peever and Bella Smith play with one another at New Wine Deliverance and Healing Fellowship’s new soup kitchen. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)
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Jennifer Boulanger and Mike Boulanger were at the soup kitchen because they loved the food and the fellowship provided there. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)
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Charlotte Peever and Bella Smith enjoy some soup at New Wine Deliverance and Healing Fellowship’s new soup kitchen. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)


Patrick Davies

About the Author: Patrick Davies

An avid lover of theatre, media, and the arts in all its forms, I've enjoyed building my professional reputation in 100 Mile House.
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