Debt threatens Feed’em Soup
Lily Provost, 5, of DeKalb, with father Tim Provost makes a donation toward Feed’em Soup while David Gordon (right), junior organization and corporate communication major, mans the donation table in front of Walmart, 2300 Sycamore Road. Rent and utilities have made it difficult for the charity, which provides locals with cheap food, to pay its bills.
April 13, 2014
To make up for finding itself with 30 percent less supplies than it had in the fall and $10,000 in debt, Feed’em Soup has teamed up with Pi Sigma Epsilon to put together a drive to collect food, cleaning supplies and cash donations.
Feed’em Soup, founded in January 2010, is a meal provider service any person may use regardless of ability to pay. Since Thursday, Feed’em Soup, 122 S. First St., and Pi Sigma Epsilon have had tables set up outside of Walmart, 2300 Sycamore Road, and Walgreens, 100 W. Lincoln Highway, to collect donations. By Sunday, they had collected $1,822.50.
Derek Gibbs, Feed’em Soup executive director, said the charity shared a location with The Church in DeKalb up until May, when the church left. Feed’em Soup’s rent increased from $500 a month to $3,200 a month with utilities.
Gibbs said the group had enough money in the bank to pay off rent for a while, but winter raised the heating bill from about $400 to nearly $1,200 per month.
Gibbs said Feed’em Soup held a special dinner in January to try and raise more money. Gibbs said 300 people were predicted to show up.
“When only 30 people showed up, I realized how much trouble we could really be in,” Gibbs said.
To help the organization, Pi Sigma Epsilon business fraternity put together the food drive. David Gordon, junior organization and corporate communications major and coordinator for the food drive, said he helped put together the drive to help the homeless and poor eat food on a regular basis.
“A lot is going to Feed’em Soup while the rest goes to other organizations in need,” Gordon said. “We’re doing a great job to a great cause.”
Edwin Najarro, junior OMIS major and Pi Sigma Epsilon member, said his fraternity takes pride in the philanthropy project.
“It was a good idea, but I didn’t expect it to get this big,” Najarro said. “We only expected $300.”
Gibbs said he reached out to the Facebook community, asking people to eat at a Feed’em Soup large buffet for $5 donations. Gibbs said by doing this, Feed’em Soup made $400 more than what is usually made from donations.
“College students could really benefit from coming to Feed’em Soup and donating $5 for a cheap, homecooked meal,” Gibbs said.
Feed’em Soup serves meals 5 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday.