Every night, hundreds of guests arrive at the old brick house just south of the Capitol building looking for a good meal. At the Gathering Place, dinner is served daily from 5 to 6 p.m. Meals are always free, and there are no questions asked to receive dinner. This year, thanks to the support of several generous sponsors, all monetary donations received for Community Action’s (communityactionatwork.org) Gathering Place will be matched $1 for $1 through December 31.
Need for the Gathering Place’s services is rapidly increasing. Over the past twelve months, the soup kitchen served 43,740 meals – a 25% increase from the previous. Since April, the Gathering Place has served roughly 1,000 more meals each month than last year.
This year’s donation match is made possible by lead sponsor Acklie Charitable Foundation, as well as Miriam Moeller Charitable Trust, Union Bank and Trust, Bukaty Companies, INSPRO, a Marsh McLennan Agency and Sue Quambusch. The campaign aims to raise $200,000 total to support the Gathering Place’s work throughout the year.
“For many of our guests, the Gathering Place is a source of comfort and consistency,” said Lisa Janssen, Community Action’s Gathering Place Administrator. “It’s also a place of community. We’re grateful to be able to provide somewhere for so many neighbors to enjoy a home-cooked meal in friendly company. And that’s only possible with our community’s support.”
Donations will be matched $1 for $1 through December 31. To give, visit www.communityactionatwork.org.
For more information about Community Action, visit communityactionatwork.org.