Have you happened to be in the vicinity of Mrs. Barnett’s room on a Tuesday or Wednesday after school? If so, you may have noticed brownies being taken out of the oven while peeking into her room or even the faint smell of chocolate lingering in the air. This is because the members of the Harriton Soup Kitchen Initiative are hard at work baking brownies, which they then donate to the St. John’s Soup Kitchen in Norristown.

The Harriton Soup Kitchen Initiative was started this past fall by sophomore, Nina Spitofsky. With the help of Mrs. Barnett and six Viking ovens, the club has been able to bake about 200 brownies at each of its baking sessions. The brownies are then delivered to the soup kitchen the following day where they are served for dessert.

Members have also helped prepare Halloween treat bags which included packs of tissues and water bottles, in addition to candy. They were also asked to put together treat bags for Valentine’s Day. Each bag contained a toothbrush, toothpaste, and treats. These bags were distributed to the people who eat at the soup kitchen along with their meal.

The St. John’s Soup Kitchen was founded in 1982. Under the enthusiastic direction of Grace Bean, it serves approximately 600 people per week and is operated solely by volunteers. Bean is ninety-two years old and has been the director of the soup kitchen since 1992. She feels a responsibility to help those less fortunate and is truly devoted to making sure that the people in our community have enough food to eat.

Bean and the other volunteers at the soup kitchen want to offer support to those who need it in any way they can. Because many of the people who come to St. John’s do not have homes, the soup kitchen staff is always looking for winter-wear to distribute to the people they serve.

Mrs. Martin’s Textiles class generously donated handmade hats to the kitchen this past winter. The donation was greatly appreciated by both the St. John’s volunteers and recipients.

In addition to baking at Harriton, one Saturday morning each month a few members of the Harriton Soup Kitchen Initiative group wake up early and help serve breakfast at the soup kitchen. It is an enjoyable and rewarding experience, as they have the opportunity to meet and interact with the people they are helping.

The Soup Kitchen Initiative is affiliated with Harriton Service League. Members of HSL can earn some of their credits each time they come and bake.

The Harriton Soup Kitchen Initiative is privileged to be able to reach out to one of Harriton’s neighboring communities in this way. The members would like to thank the teachers, students, and parents in the Harriton community who have supported their endeavor.

New members are always welcome! If you have any questions or would like to sign up please email [email protected].