Breaking bread over a bowl of soup

Moses Lake United Methodist puts on 'Souper' Saturday

The bread's winning rave revie-ws from those who have tried it.

With a bowl of soup, you get a slice of bread, buttered or unbuttered to your liking, that's been made by pastor Steve Rice of Moses Lake United Methodist Church.

Rice is also the originator of the church's "'Souper' Food Saturday," a free event that's been held on the last Saturday of each month for the last five months now, in the church's fellowship hall on Ironwood Avenue. While Rice provides the bread, different church members provide the soup each month.

"Our pastor suggested it, and we just said, 'OK,'" said Mary Davis, chairman of the church's outreach committee.

Participant numbers are gradually picking up.

"The first time we had one, the second we had seven," Davis said Saturday. "The third time we had about 30, but we also had a rummage sale going on at the same time. It was very conducive to have the two events. We had seven last month, and we've already exceeded that today."

Davis added that the church would like to have as many people stop in for soup as possible.

"We just feel we should give back to the community," she said, noting one of the kitchen's biggest supporters is the Moses Lake Food Bank. "It's rewarding to give back, to me. We have received and we're able to give back."

Melissa Vasquez, Yolanda Valentin, Lupe Valdez and Frances Valentin also rang in that they liked the bread. Vasquez had been once before, and said she believed in her heart God had told her to bring her relatives to Saturday's meal.

"It could provide help for some of the more needy families," Yolanda Valentin said. "(They) can know that they can come somewhere and get a hot meal."

"It's a great thing for the community to have," said parish member and soup kitchen volunteer Jennifer Robinson, with stepdaughter Shelby and Shelby's friend Christian Acamo in tow Saturday. "Everybody is welcome."

"The bread was really good," Acamo said. "It was awesome."

"We felt there was a need for it in the community, and it's just another way to meet new people here, let them know we're in the community," said one of the kitchen's hostesses for the day Saturday, Allison Heimbigner, while eating with husband Ken and friend Joyce Lyon.

"I came because I'm hungry," Lyon said with a smile. Of the soup, she said, "It's good, you should try it. And the bread's even better."

"If you need a meal, go here," Shelby Robinson said. "And get a free meal."