A Florida soup kitchen is facing eviction from the church where it was located after the group says its rent was doubled while its operating hours were at the same time reduced.
The Wildwood Soup Kitchen, in Wildwood, has sought help from the local community in sourcing a new venue after ânew stipulationsâ for its lease threatened its ability to continue serving those in need.
âUnfortunately, we are now facing an emergency crisis that threatens our ability to continue this vital mission,â the organization wrote online.
âOur lease is up for renewal under new stipulations: our rent has doubled, building access hours have been reduced, and our available space has decreasedâall while the demand for meals continues to rise each week.â
Barbara McManus, president of the board of directors for the Wildwood Soup Kitchen, said that despite knowing that the lease would soon be up and that the organization was outgrowing the space, the notice of eviction came as a shock when it arrived from the First Presbyterian Church of Wildwood on October 16.
“We received a letter from our landlord saying we are to leave by the end of the year or we would have a higher rent and we would have to limit the amount of time we have in this building,” she told WESH.
âWildwood Soup Kitchen is run entirely by volunteers and provides over 16,000 meals to the homeless each month. Operations consist of 14 to 16 volunteer shifts each week, including cooks, prep teams, and support staff, to keep our kitchen running.
âThanks to their dedication and the generosity of our supporters, we have been able to serve the Wildwood community for many years from our current location,â the organizationâs post continued. âHundreds of families, children, & seniors rely on us daily. Without immediate help, we risk having to shut down at the end of this year.â
âWe urgently need assistance to find a new location in Wildwood with a large commercial kitchen ready for immediate occupancy. We do not have the time or resources to construct a new facility or undertake major renovations.â
The Independent has connected the First Presbyterian Church of Wildwood for comment on the eviction.
McManus added that through public donations, the kitchen has already raised $100,000, though that one potential location was expected to cost $1.5 million. She told WESH she had hoped the church might have been more flexible with the lease.
“I was hoping we could stay maybe through January, February, so we have more time,” McManus said. “December 31 is right after the holidays, and we serve so many people. It’s cold at that time of the year, and we want to make sure we get meals out to people.”
Donations to the kitchen can be made through its website.
