Adult Day Services Annual Soup Drive was also a Competition

Catholic Charities Adult Day Services hosted its annual soup drive November 1st through 16th.

This is the first year the drive was also a competition between rooms at Adult Day Services, which provides day care for adults with disabilities and seniors.

Together, the rooms collected 24 cases of soup, totaling 584 cans for Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, also a program of Catholic Charities.

KC Wakefield, program coordinator said the collaboration is always a good experience for the clients.

“It’s good for our clients to give back,” she said. “The community is very generous to our program during the holiday season, so this provides our clients an opportunity to give back and help another program.”

Wakefield said Adult Day Services collected soup because it is one of the items Our Daily Bread Food Pantry needs most. She said this is because soup is easy to store and typically has a longer shelf life.

Matt Tannehill, director of Our Daily Bread Food Pantry said the soup will benefit guests in several ways. By providing lower-sodium soups, the pantry is able to ensure people seeking assistance are receiving as healthy meals as possible.

He said many clients utilize soups like cream of chicken and cream of mushroom together with other food items to make more wholesome meals such as casseroles.

“Soups are also a great meal supplement for when individuals and families are suffering a loss of affordable foods,” said Tannehill.

According to Tannehill, 14 percent of families in Sedgwick County suffer food insecurity. He said Adult Day Services is an example of a community organization continuing to be a strong foundation for those suffering from it.

“When we look inward to see what we are able to do for one another and act upon our hearts calling to help, the results and positive outcomes are truly amazing.”

[Photo] Richard Tracy, facilities manager at Catholic Charities loads cans of soup into the agency’s maintenance van. The cans were part of the annual soup drive at Catholic Charities Adult Day Services. The donation was delivered to Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, also a ministry of Catholic Charities.