GREENFIELD — The Kenneth Butler Memorial Soup Kitchen is approaching a significant anniversary, and it has come a long way since opening in 2009.
“The first day we opened, we had five people,” executive director Jill Ebbert said. “They came in here and sat as far away from each other as they could, ate as fast as they could and shot out the door. Now, we’re serving close to 100 people a day.”
Since that first day, Ebbert said, that atmosphere has changed completely as the soup kitchen has become a place for people to gather and find community.
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“Over the years, our volunteers have built up relationships with the patrons and the patrons have built relationships with them, and they’ve just kind of become a family,” Ebbert said.
The soup kitchen will celebrate its 10th anniversary Saturday with a community carnival. The event, to be held from 1-5 p.m. at the soup kitchen and the Greenfield Christian Church parking lot next door, will feature games, refreshments and a donut-eating contest.
Ebbert said the carnival is intended as a “thank you” to community members and volunteers who have helped the soup kitchen thrive over the past decade. She said grants, donations and volunteer hours have allowed its services to grow steadily.
“We’ve grown leaps and bounds, and we could not have done it without the support of the community,” Ebbert said.
Soup kitchen patron Ray Miller said the environment of the lunch and dinner services is always friendly.
“If you need help, they will try to help you the best that they can. If they can’t do it themselves, they’ll steer you in the right direction. They treat you as if you were like family,” Miller said.
Ebbert has been involved in the soup kitchen since its beginnings. Recently retired from the Hancock County assessor’s office, she began volunteering at the soup kitchen and was asked to step in as director by the board.
“It was really kind of a God thing for me to get here,” Ebbert said. “I had never been involved with a nonprofit. I had never done anything like this, but I think this is where I was supposed to end up.”
The majority of patrons at the soup kitchen are from Greenfield, Ebbert said, though many also come from other Hancock County communities. Some out-of-state visitors who are just passing through also occasionally stop for a meal. Some are experiencing temporary financial need, while others are caught in long-term poverty; they may work two or three jobs but still be unable to provide for a family.
Some of the patrons are homeless, Ebbert said, with the majority of those being “couch surfers” who rely on friends and family members for short-term shelter.
The soup kitchen currently has approximately 75 regular volunteers, with a total roster of 700 to 800 people, Ebbert said. Monthly operating costs are approximately $11,000.
“It’s very rewarding for us, really,” volunteer Yolanda Miller said. “It’s good to serve the community. I think we’re very fortunate to have this kitchen to help feed people. You don’t realize how many people are in need, and this really helps.”
Ebbert said her goal for the soup kitchen’s next 10 years is to shift to a more sustainable fundraising model that is focused on direct relationships with donors, rather than relying on fundraising events.
“(People in Greenfield) are extremely generous,” Ebbert said. “They hit all three marks; they’re generous with their time, their talent and their treasure.”
Ebbert said the work she does at the soup kitchen can be difficult and chaotic, but it’s always worth it.
“There’s not a whole lot of jobs that when you leave at night you know you’ve made someone’s life better. And I do when I leave here,” Ebbert said.
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The Kenneth Butler Memorial Soup Kitchen, 202 E. Main St., is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch and from 5-7 p.m. for dinner Monday through Friday.
Donations to the soup kitchen can be made at http://kbmsk.org/wp.
The soup kitchen’s community carnival will be held from 1-5 p.m. Saturday.
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