Capuchin Soup Kitchen facts for kids
Capuchin Soup Kitchen's Conner Street location
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| Formation | 1929 |
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| Founders | Solanus Casey, OFM, Cap. and Herman Buss, OFM, Cap. |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Purpose | Humanitarian |
| Headquarters | 1820 Mount Elliot St. Detroit, MI |
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Executive Director
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Br. Gary Wegner, OFM, Cap. |
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Parent organization
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Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph |
| Affiliations | Gleaners Community Food Bank Detroit Agricultural Network |
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen (CSK) is a special place in Detroit, Michigan, run by a religious group called the Capuchin friars. It's a non-profit group that helps people in need. It was started in 1929 to give food to people during a very tough time called the Great Depression.
Even though it began as a soup kitchen, CSK now offers many different kinds of help. They have a food and clothing bank, programs to help adults learn new skills and get a fresh start, and fun activities for kids after school and in the summer. Through all these programs, CSK helps about 560,000 people every year!
Contents
History of Helping Others
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen was started in 1929 by two Capuchin friars, Solanus Casey and Herman Buss. They wanted to help the many people in Detroit who were struggling during the Great Depression.
At first, the friars at St. Bonaventure Monastery simply shared food from their own kitchen. Brother Solanus Casey, who was the "porter" (like a doorkeeper) of the monastery, would give coffee and sandwiches to everyone who came asking for help.
Soon, the line of people grew very long, sometimes up to 2,000 people each day! It became too much for the monastery kitchen. So, Herman Buss asked for help from another group called the Secular Franciscans. With their help, the friars moved their services to a bigger building next to the monastery's small church. The Capuchin Soup Kitchen officially opened its doors on November 2, 1929.
Herman Buss became the first director, while Brother Solanus Casey kept helping people at the monastery door. Later, in 1933, another friar named Mathias Nack took over as director. To keep the soup kitchen going, a group called the Capuchin Charity Guild was formed in 1942 to raise money.
Over the years, the Capuchin Soup Kitchen moved from its first location and now has two main places where they serve meals. In the 1970s, they added Jefferson House, a program to help men overcome challenges and get back on their feet. In 2006, the R.O.P.E. (Reaching Our Potential Everyday) Program was created with the Capuchin Soup Kitchen's On the Rise Bakery. This program helps people learn useful skills.
A very special event happened on November 18, 2017. Brother Solanus Casey, one of the founders, was honored in a big ceremony called "beatification" at Ford Field. Between 60,000 and 70,000 people came to celebrate his life and work.
Programs and Services
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen has seven main programs. These programs are designed to help people in Detroit who need support in different ways.
Meal Programs
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen has two locations that serve about 2,000 meals every day. These are the Jefferson House site and the On The Rise Bakery site.
Meldrum Soup Kitchen
The Meldrum soup kitchen was the first program started by the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in 1929. It's located very close to where the soup kitchen first began. This kitchen serves about 600 meals each day, mostly to men who are experiencing poverty.
Conner Soup Kitchen
The Conner Kitchen opened in 1998. This location serves working families and older adults. About one-third of the meals here go to children aged 12 and under.
On the Rise Bakery & R.O.P.E Program
On the Rise Bakery is a special place where people in the Capuchin's ROPE (Reaching Our Potential Everyday) program work. This program helps people learn valuable skills for jobs. The money earned from the bakery helps pay for housing, training, and other support for the ROPE participants. Everyone in the program helps and guides new people joining the bakery.
Earthworks Urban Farm
Earthworks Urban Farm started in 1997. It's a farm with eight gardens spread across 20 city blocks near the Capuchin Franciscans' main office. The farm grows vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. These fresh foods help provide meals for the people served by the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. The farm also sells some of its products at farmers' markets and health clinics. They even make jam from their own berries to help raise money for CSK!
Capuchin Services Center
The Capuchin Services Center helps about 228,000 people in Detroit each year by providing emergency food and clothing. They give out food and other important items based on how many people are in a family. They also give away furniture and clothes.
Jefferson House
Jefferson House is a place with twelve beds that helps men who are experiencing poverty and want to make positive changes in their lives.
Rosa Parks Children's Program
The Rosa Parks Children's Program is for kids aged 6 to 12. It helps them improve their art and reading skills. They also have a Summer Peace Camp, which is a three-week program. Here, children learn how to deal with difficult situations through art, music, and dance.
Spiritual Care
Spiritual Care offers guidance and support for those who are interested in the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi.
Partnerships and Support
To get help with money and volunteers, the Capuchin Soup Kitchen works with many different businesses and groups. They also receive grants (money given for a specific purpose) to support their farming and legal help programs. CSK also partners with other non-profit groups in Detroit, especially for their meal and farm programs.
Business Partners
Car Companies
From 2005 to 2014, big car companies like General Motors (GM), Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler Group, along with their leaders, gave a lot of money to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. This money helped CSK provide food, job training, and other important services to people in Detroit. These companies also encouraged their employees to volunteer at CSK.
Bob Evans Inc.
In 2013, the Capuchin Soup Kitchen teamed up with Bob Evans. This company helped pay for improvements at CSK's Conner Avenue building, which is home to the Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program.
DTE Energy and DNV GL
In July 2016, DTE Energy and DNV GL worked with the Capuchin Soup Kitchen on a project to save energy. DNV GL gave CSK energy-efficient ovens, fryers, a dishwasher, water heaters, and LED lights. This helped the charity lower its energy costs. In 2009, the DTE Energy Foundation also gave $36,074 to CSK from money raised during their yearly holiday fundraiser.
Kroger
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen receives food donations from Kroger, a grocery store company. Kroger has a program called "Zero Hunger Zero Waste" that helps communities.
Local Detroit Business Partners
A local Michigan jewelry company, Ahee Jewelry Co., has sponsored the "Capuchin Souper Summer Celebration." This event raised about $3.5 million for the charity between 1981 and 2001.
Since 1976, Buddy's Pizza, a Detroit restaurant chain, has hosted an event called "Slice for Life." This fundraiser has raised over $3 million for CSK.
The Detroit radio station WMGC-FM (105.1) hosts an annual "Capuchin Soup Kitchen Radiothon" to raise money for the organization every year.
Grants
In 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture gave a $150,000 grant to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. This money was for a project to help urban farming in Detroit. It included services like tilling gardens, saving seeds, growing young plants, offering gardening classes, and providing tools.
In February 2016, The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan approved a $50,000 grant for CSK. This money helped support a partnership that provides free legal help to people experiencing homelessness.
In October 2016, Mahindra North American Technical Center gave a $12,500 grant to the CSK Earthworks Urban Farm Agriculture Training Program. This grant supported a nine-month program to train urban farmers and people who want to start food businesses.
Partnered Non-profit Groups
Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit, which is a non-profit food bank, gives tons of food to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen every month. This helps CSK run its meal programs.
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen is also part of the Detroit Agricultural Network. This is a partnership with The Greening of Detroit, Earthworks Capuchin Soup Kitchen, and Michigan State University Extension. Through this network, their Detroit Garden Resource Program provides families and community gardeners with affordable seeds, compost, and classes.
Impact and How They Help
Who They Serve
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen helps men, women, and children who are experiencing homelessness or poverty. Volunteers and staff work with people from all backgrounds, no matter their race, gender, age, or income. CSK also helps people who have been in prison or are working to overcome challenges, offering counseling and learning opportunities through programs like On the Rise Bakery.
Statistics
The organization reports that they help about 560,000 people each year. They also provide food and clothing to 228,000 people in the Detroit area through their programs. About 2,000 hot meals are served every day. Each month, they give away 300,000 pounds of groceries, 30,000 pieces of clothing, and over 500 pieces of furniture and appliances to families in need. This means they can offer three meals a day, six days a week, to their clients.
Earthworks Urban Farm grows food for CSK in three gardens on a 2.5-acre organic farm. With help from their partners, they serve 160-180 families each day, which adds up to 3,600 to 4,000 families a month.
How They Get Money
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen does not receive money from the government to support its programs. Instead, they rely on donations from people and money earned from their own programs, like On The Rise Bakery. In 2018, CSK's reported income was $288,786.
The Capuchin Services Center
The Capuchin Services Center works like a grocery store where people in need can get free food and clothing based on their family size. It has freezers, coolers, bread racks, and pastries. Companies like Kroger and Kohl's have donated shelves, clothing racks, and hangers, making the center look like a real store.
Legal Help
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen also offers legal help for issues like traffic tickets, child support, landlord/tenant problems, and social security. Volunteer lawyers and legal assistants from different law firms and Ford Motor Company's legal office provide advice. CSK's locations also have showers and clean clothes for people experiencing homelessness for up to 30 days. They also help up to 800 children a month with their children's library and art therapy studio.
