St. Mary's Soup Kitchen - Memphis, Tennessee
St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen in Memphis, Tennessee, has been providing free meals to the community since 1870. The Soup Kitchen is operated by St. Mary’s Catholic Church and dispenses meals six days a week.
Joan
I have been coming here for a month and have coffee in the morning. I’m supposed to be in Mississippi, but the police brought me here. They took me to the homeless shelter, but I can’t get in. I’ve got too much luggage, so I’ve been displaced.
I wanted to find my way to Italy so I can be with the Vatican to study there with the church, but nobody will take me into sanctuary.
I am living on the street and it is very hard. They kicked me out of the Cedar Haven Baptist House for not attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, which is hard because I’m not an alcoholic. They wanted to force me to go to a meeting and because I wouldn’t go, they kicked me out. It’s very unfortunate.
Mark
This place here, this is a lifesaver. What they’re doing is a lifesaver. What I mean by that is they help us to be more hopeful. Having that hope everyday keeps us going. They need to build more overpasses, more bridges so we have somewhere to go out of
the rain. Wintertime is really hard.
George
I’ve been coming here for six months, and they’ve been helping me out. I come here practically every day.
James
What I do is I pick up scrap cans and stuff. I'll stop by here and get something, because I walk a lot. I come here off and on.