Presbyterian Soup Luncheon celebrates tradition of giving

Traditionally, Mardi Gras is an observation of the beginning of Lent and the observance of the Easter season.  Since Lent is on some level about giving something up in order to prepare the right mindset heading toward Easter Sunday, Mardi Gras is a last chance to enjoy the pleasant things in life.  

While that enjoyment can obviously go in one direction in the case of something like Spring Break in New Orleans, it can also go in the much calmer direction of choosing to enjoy warm, delicious food and the company of good friends and neighbors.  The Luncheon tradition at the Presbyterian Church in Soda Springs is the latter sort of affair, with members of the community coming together in the spirit of the season to anticipate the coming of spring and the rebirth of the year.

According to Marilyn Kukachka of the First Presbyterian Church in Soda Springs, “the soup luncheon went well!  We had good weather, good turnout.  We didn’t run out of anything, blew no fuses, and everyone had a nice time and good lunch, hopefully.  The Mardi Gras decorations added a lot of festivity!”

In addition to being an opportunity for many people to find their way outdoors again after months of being shut inside, and to meet face to face with people they may have only spoken with over the phone in recent months, the luncheon is also a fundraising event.  In the past, funds raised during the lunch have been used for a variety of service projects around the area, and indeed the world.  Over past years, the church, due to its connections with a member from Africa, has donated funds toward various aquaculture and well projects on that continent.  Marilyn Kukachka explained that the money raised “will go toward developing another well in Ghana in the near future.”

In developing counties such as Ghana, access to clean water for drinking and other needs is critical to health and economic prosperity, especially for families with children.  Over the years, the church has found that supporting such projects is way that they can reach out to help those in need all the way on the other side of the world.

The luncheon once again in the books, Easter season starts in full. Those who left the luncheon last week also left full, and ready to make a difference around them.

As Marilyn said, “It is always a fun time with hearty homemade soups, but it’s the spirit of friendship and community that really makes it a great day.  I would like to thank everyone who helped to make the day a success: the makers of yummy soup, the bakers of desserts, the dishwashers and dryers, the decorators, the efficient take out ladies,  the guys who moved tables and helped us carry in our heavy pots, those who helped to get the word out, our greeter Pastor Nathan, our two friends from St. Mary’s who helped out, everyone who helped clean up and all the many people who joined us for lunch.”