TOMORROW: Portraits From The Soup Kitchen

For those of you who are staying in the Garden Spot this upcoming Tofurky Day there are plenty of ways to get your fix of thankfulness. As I mentioned before, there will be an interfaith service at Ahavas Israel starting at 7:30 p.m. Volunteers are always welcome at the Greenpoint Reformed Church’s food pantry and soup kitchen. Especially tomorrow when they’ll be serving up an early Thanksgiving dinner. Ann Kansfield wrote (in her press release):

The Greenpoint Reformed Church Soup Kitchen will host a special Thanksgiving turkey dinner on Wednesday, November 25 from 6-7pm. The event will mark the opening of a new art exhibit featuring portraits of the soup kitchen’s patrons and volunteers painted by Janice Bridgers.

The soup kitchen has found innovative ways to help feed increasing numbers of homeless and low-income individuals. The kichen manages to feed a hot meal to 80-100 people each week on a shoestring budget.  We expect even more people to come for the pre-Thanksgiving meal on Wednesday night. The meal will consist of turkey and other traditional Thanksgiving trimmings.

Adding to the evening is the opening of an art show featuring portraits of the soup kitchen’s clients and volunteers. The artwork is meant to increase self-esteem and pride among individuals who are often demoralized and hopeless. The artwork is displayed with gallery lighting in the same room where the soup kitchen meals take place…

Founded in 2007, the Greenpoint Reformed Church Soup Kitchen is a non-sectarian program that provides a weekly hot meal for homeless and low income people in North Brooklyn.  The number of people served by the soup kitchen has risen signficiantly due to the downturn in the economy.

Janice Bridgers began painting portraits of people associated with soup kitchen after she began volunteering with the program. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and makes a great tasting pot of soup.

Here are a few works by Ms. Bridgers (which I have to admit as a painter who defected to sculpture I rather like. They are strikingly reminiscent of Alice Neel.) you’ll see tomorrow night at the soup kitchen. Each painting will be for sale (they’re $300 each) and all proceeds will go towards the soup kitchen.

You can see more of Ms. Bridger’s work by clicking here. In closing I’d like to mention that the soup kitchen and food pantry needs our help now more than ever:

Each day there’s a new story about how the decline in our economy is leading to an increase in demand for food pantries and soup kitchens. We’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people coming through the doors of the Greenpoint Reformed Church’s soup kitchen and food pantry. As you might guess, the funds needed to help feed so many hungry people haven’t kept pace with the demand. In fact, our city funding got cut this summer.  Our pantry is empty right now, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing to you.

We need your help, and we’re asking you to do two things. Please make a Thanksgiving donation to Greenpoint’s pantry and kitchen. No gift is too small – we can do a lot with just $5 or $10.  We’re able to buy food at a reduced cost from the NY Food Bank, so we leverage every dollar donated to us. Second, please help spread the word and forward this message to five friends asking them to donate a few bucks.  If everyone gives a little, we can do so much.

We’re aren’t a large non-profit.  We don’t have a fancy building or shiny equipment. You can be assured that your donation goes directly to help people who would otherwise fall through the cracks of our society.  Along with helping people, you also have the benefit of your donation being tax-deductable.

You can send a check to:

Greenpoint Church Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry
136 Milton St.
Brooklyn, NY 11222

Or make an online donation by clicking here.

Miss Heather