IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – After more than two years of serving the hungry in the Idaho Falls community with to-go lunches, the Idaho Falls Soup Kitchen is excited to announce a return to in-person service on Sunday, May 1, 2022.
Much has changed at the Soup Kitchen during those two years, including becoming a stand-alone organization with a designated Executive Director. Jessica Sharp will lead the organization back into in-person service.
“There are a ton of things we need to do to get ready,” she said. “Our volunteer teams are small, but we’ve had a lot of interest in volunteering. What we really need is donations so we can be prepared for all of our incoming maintenance costs.”
More urgently, the Soup Kitchen is bracing for an impact on the building itself, which hasn’t been seeing lunchtime crowds. The Soup Kitchen staff and Board of Directors anticipates some 150 people using the facilities every day. They’ve been supported by volunteers who offer up cleaning and maintenance services but still need community help in the form of donations.
Although any individual donation is deeply needed, officials said the most impactful gifts are recurring monthly gifts, which are possible through Paypal. The Soup Kitchen will be participating in Idaho Gives at the beginning of May and hopes to brace for repair costs with the help of the community.
