Feed’Em Soup Moves to East Lincoln Highway

Non-profit will increase services with funds saved from smaller location

Packing is already underway at Feed’em Soup Community Project currently located at 122 South First Street in Downtown DeKalb. Organizers of DeKalb’s “Donate-What-You-Can” Style Restaurant/Soup Kitchen have chosen not to renew their lease at their current 8,500 square foot facilities that they’ve called home for the last 3 years. The organization has battled funding issues for the last three years, especially when trying to bring the 80 year old building up to code and maintain it as well as the extremely high costs of heating and cooling the space. “The hardest part was not only the condition of the building, but heating 8,500 square feet with a 40 foot barrel roof” Executive Director Derek Gibbs says. During winter months, the 2 units the group leased for their community meals and food pantry have generated utilities in excess of $2,500 a month. “It’s not fair to our guests to have to eat dinner in a 55 degree building because we can’t afford to heat it, and it’s not fair to our donors, supporters and the community for us to be spending so much on utilities when that money would be better served expanding our services.” Gibbs said. The group will move about a block away to 251 East Lincoln Highway. The new restaurant space has sat vacant for the last couple of years but was previously the Golden Thai Jasmine restaurant. The new space includes a 2,400 square foot kitchen and dining space that will seat approximately 65 with a full finished basement to be used as the pop-up pantry and for storage. The 251 East Lincoln building has also received a $300,000 renovation within the last 5 years including all new plumbing, wiring, electric panels, heat, air conditioning, drywall and other upgrades. The group estimates the new location will create more than $25,000 annually in savings from rent and utilities.

While the new location is smaller, it will be much more manageable for the group who celebrates their 5th birthday this month. Feed’em Soup provides 400 – 500 “donate what you can” meals each week through its Monday and Wednesday dinner service and Thursday and Friday Lunch program. In order to ensure all of their current guests will be able to utilize their services at the new location, Feed’em Soup staff is preparing to expand their dinner service hours opening at 4pm rather than 5pm once in the new location. They also hope to add a Tuesday and/or Thursday dinner service later this year.

While moving is underway, the group will continue to hold Wednesday dinners at 122 South First until the new location passes City and Health Department inspections. Monday Dinners and Thursday/Friday lunches are postponed so the group can focus on making a smooth transition. Pop-Up pantry service expects to go uninterrupted.

Feed’em Soup also hosts a clothing closet during meal services that provides clothes to those in need at no charge. With the smaller location, the clothing closet will be temporarily closed while leaders of the group search for a new location to hold the closet. The group hopes to find donated or discounted space near downtown to continue this much needed service. Feed’em Soups Clothing Closet accepts donations of gently used clothing and provides them to anyone in DeKalb County that needs them at no charge. In March, the closet found homes for 6 coats, 77 toiletries, and 2,900 pieces of clothing.

For more information, to volunteer, or donate, please visit www.FeedEmSoup.org