HUMBOLDT — A $3,500 grant will help the Humboldt Soup Kitchen in its mission to feed those in need, a mission the organization said is getting larger in the face of the pandemic.
The Saskatchewan Knights of Columbus Charitable Foundation donated $3,500. The local Knights of Columbus council applied to the foundation on behalf of the soup kitchen.
Matteo Carboni, the chair of the soup kitchen, said the money was a godsend.
“We are always looking for funds to help people in need. We're making over 200 meals a week and we're fortunate enough to be in that position where we can help others,” he said.
“To receive this money, it's, for us, absolutely wonderful because it's nice to know that we have the support of our community but it’s also nice that we can then pass it on and help us in our mission to serve others.”
Brad Lefebvre, who’s on the board of the Saskatchewan Knights of Columbus Charitable Foundation and a member of the local council, said the Humboldt Soup Kitchen was one of 10 programs devoted to feeding the hungry that had an application.
“We have a big focus within our organization to help people that need help, whether it's for disasters with their house or disasters with health care or disasters with flooding or different things and feeding the hungry is definitely a big part of what we do,” he said.
“We like to support and offer our assistance to local councils who are already on a local basis doing things like that to help in those kinds of situations.”
Lefebvre said the local Knights have fundraised for the soup kitchen, hosting events like their pancake suppers.
“Some of the local Knights come and volunteer to work with the soup kitchen too. When it was open before COVID we came every week, some of all of us would come in on different rotations and we'd volunteer to help in the soup kitchen, to help prepare and clean up and serve.”
