The Norwich Community Soup Kitchen will reopen on Tuesday, September 13. Free, hot meals will be served at the St. Bartholomew's Parish Center, located at 81 East Main Street in Norwich, every Tuesday through the end of May, with doors opening at 4 p.m. and dinner served at 5:15 p.m. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

NORWICH — The Norwich Community Soup Kitchen is gearing up to open their doors to the public once again this September, marking their 12th year of service to the Chenango County community.

Formed in 2010, the soup kitchen is a joint effort between St. Bartholomew's Church and St. Paul's Churches in Norwich. Every Tuesday, volunteers gather at the St. Bartholomew's Parish Center, located at 81 East Main Street, to prepare that week's menu and serve the public.

The meals are open to anyone who would like to stop by, beginning on Tuesday, September 13 and running until the end of May. Doors to the parish center open at 4 p.m., with dinner beginning at 5:15 p.m.

"We still call it a soup kitchen but we do serve a full meal. So they get a full meal and a dessert and a beverage at every meal," said Norwich Community Soup Kitchen Director JoAnn Testani. "One week we’ll have chicken and biscuits, another week we’ll have beef stew, another week we might have spaghetti and chicken parm, or macaroni and meatballs. The menu changes from week to week."

"We don't turn anybody away. Everyone is welcome," she added.

This year also marks a return to in-person, sit-down dinners held at the parish center. Although volunteers still served free meals throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the soup kitchen was takeout only.

Testani said the soup kitchen will still be following CDC guidelines related to COVID, however with restrictions eased, visitors are welcome to stay and enjoy their meal in the parish center.

Additionally, the Norwich Community Soup Kitchen follows the Norwich City School District calendar, as well as any school snow days that come up throughout the season.

"We also follow the school schedule, so if there’s no school then there’s no soup kitchen. We try to follow the school calendar, only because some of our workers have children," she explained. "If there’s snow days and things like that there would be no school, so there would be no soup kitchen. I wouldn’t ask my workers to come out and work in the snow."

The kitchen has proven to be a much needed community service. Although Testani said the amount of visitors they see each Tuesday can vary, they generally serve anywhere from 45 to 100 people every week.

"Usually when we start out maybe there’s 45, 55 people. By the time the end of the year comes around we’re serving 95 to 100 people. That’s how it worked with the takeout," said Testani. "Last year for our takeout we served 1,800 meals from September to the end of May. So it varies from week to week how many people come."

Those looking to volunteer are also more than welcome at the St. Bartholomew's Parish Hall. To inquire about volunteering, or jump in and help out that day, Testani said "they're more than welcome to come to the parish center and see if we need help that day."

More information on St. Bartholomew's Church and Parish Center, and updates on the Norwich Community Soup Kitchen can be found on the St. Bartholomew's Church Norwich NY Facebook page.