Savannah Soup Kitchen Temporarily Closes Amid Coronavirus Fears

Caption

A group gathered outside Emmaus House with donuts and "thank you" signs on the soup kitchen's last day serving meals for the time being.

After a month of handing out to-go meals because of the coronavirus, Emmaus House in downtown Savannah on Friday served its last meal for the time being.

The small soup kitchen has just three staff members, who have been preparing and handing out meals without their usual team of volunteers in order to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. But all three staffers have someone immunocompromised at home, said Executive Director Ariana Berksteiner.

“The concern is, obviously, if something happens to us now, when all this is said and done, we won’t be able to serve in the best capacity,” she said. “And then also obviously if something happens to a family member, that puts all of this operation at risk.”

The organization donated its perishable food to a shelter that remains open, which Berksteiner said serves many of the same clients.

Shutting down was a hard decision, she said, and the leaders of many nonprofits are facing similar difficult choices.

“It is all playing by ear each day, you know, what does the climate look like today?” Berksteiner said. “How many more cases have come up today, and what does that look like for our program?”

Those day-to-day changes will also affect when the soup kitchen can reopen. While Berksteiner said she currently plans to stay closed for about six weeks, her plans will change depending on the spread of the virus.

In the meantime, she and her staff are gearing up to serve more people than they typically do whenever they do reopen their doors.

“I foresee there being those folks who were on the cusp, who were on the fringe of homelessness, those folks who were struggling to meet paycheck by paycheck,” Berksteiner said. “I’m ready to see a lot of folks, unfortunately.”

In addition to meals Friday, the Emmaus House staff handed out handwritten notes of encouragement and pictures from the community, which they collected through Loop it Up Savannah, a kids’ art nonprofit.

“To get a note of inspiration during this incredibly crazy and uncertain and stressful time, for someone to take a moment to write a note that says, you know, ‘keep it up, wash your hands, you’re loved you’re appreciated, someone cares about you’ — that act of kindness, I think, some people take for granted, but when you’re in a position like experiencing homelessness, that act of kindness is amplified by, like, a million,” Berksteiner said.

Members of the community also turned out to thank the soup kitchen and its staff, gathering in the square outside with “thank you” signs and Krispy Kreme donuts.