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WELLSBURG -- Members of Community of Christ Church, at 26th Street, are continuing to offer free soups to anyone in what they see as a pick-me-up in a time when many are dealing with the pandemic in various ways.
"It's been such a terrible year. We wanted to do something to lift people's spirits," said Bettie Lallone, the church's pastor, who said the soup distribution came after much thought about how the church could aid and support the community while following guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Lallone said church members and supporters provide from 175 to 200 16-ounce containers of assorted soups, with the next distributions to be held at 11 a.m. March 25 and April 22.
The supply of soup at the church's Feb. 25 distribution was depleted in about 30 minutes, so soup-seekers are encouraged to arrive early, said Lallone as she and her sister, Pam Simakis, folded up a card table for the soup in the church's parking lot.
"You feel so bad when you send them away," said Lallone.
She is among a few who have been staffing the table, but she is quick to note the biggest job of preparing the assorted soups, which have ranged from chicken noodle to chili, is done by the church's small but dedicated congregation and their family and friends.
Lallone said it's a task that was welcomed by many who have felt somewhat isolated during the pandemic.
She said the soup is offered to everyone, not only those with financial difficulties, and it's not a fundraiser for the church.
"People sometimes want to give us money, and we try to turn it down, because that's not what this is about," Lallone said.
She said the soup and containers have been donated by members and others, so there's no direct cost to the church itself.
While Lallone and her congregation plan to end the soup distributions in the spring, figuring there's not as much demand for it in warmer weather, they haven't ruled out distributing some other kind of food through the summer.
She said whatever happens then, "We're definitely going to start it back up in September."
There also are plans to add a "blessing box" containing personal care products for those in need outside the church. Each fall the church normally collects new socks for the homeless in the month they have renamed Socktober.
Currently the congregation isn't meeting for in-person worship to adhere with the wishes of national church leaders who want to prevent the virus' spread.