2005 - 2006 Annual Reports

Sonshine Soup Kitchen

For the past 6 years I have been the Volunteer Coordinator at First Parish Church for the Sonshine Soup Kitchen. Once every other month our group serves a dinner at the First Baptist church in Derry. Many volunteers have supported and worked with me in this wonderful endeavor. I have recently turned the position of coordinator over to two of our parishioners, Margie Ives and Shelley Sipes. Though I am no longer the coordinator I will continue to volunteer my services as needed.

The Sonshine Soup Kitchen serves a dinner meal five days a week at the First Baptist Church and the Adventist Church serves a meal on the sixth day. This is all made possible because of generous donations of food, cash and time donated by the community volunteers.  In addition they offer clothing for emergency needs which again is donated by the community. And in the near future the Sonshine Kitchen hopes to be able to offer transportation to a shelter for those who have become homeless.

For the year 2005 there were 5,675 guests served in the church dining room with meals served including deliveries to the home bound totaling 10,192. The average number of meals per day was 41 including the meals delivered. The hours logged for all volunteers of the Sonshine Soup Kitchen is a total of 5,853.

Thank you to all the volunteers of the Sonshine Soup Kitchen that have assisted me in so many ways over the past years. Without you First Parish Church could not make this happen in a community which so badly needs these services.

                                                      Respectfully Submitted

                                                      Suzanne E. Hunt