Fall 2022

Winter 2022/2023

Quote for the Quarter: 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.

Colossians 3:15

Our mission statement:  To ease food insecurity in the Chickasha area and to foster community in and between the people we serve and the people who serve.

The CSK is located at 520 W Pennsylvania Ave and open Mon-Fri 11:30 am to 1 pm.  If you have questions or would like to volunteer call 405-999-5761. 

Check out our website www.chickashasoupkitchen.org

This issue is about Gratitude

And so what is it?  Cicero and Seneca concluded that gratitude is the action of returning a favor, of affirming the good things we receive.  It’s been called the Queen of the virtues.  It reminds us we’re not self-sufficient.  It enmeshes us in community.  It has the power to bring hope and healing.  And it’s a choice we make everyday, to be grateful, or not.

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

William Arthur Ward

And so we, the CSKeteers (sort of like musketeers except we wield spatulas and spoons, and not swords, and always in a friendly way) would like to take some time to share our journey of Gratitude.

Let’s begin with time.  Four years ago, Yes 4, on the pavement outside the First Christian Church, sat a worn red cooler full of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  When I say worn it’s because it was being opened and closed so much.  The need was great.  The minister, Michael Oberlender, observed this and was grateful.  Grateful to be made aware of the needs of people most don’t see or try to understand.  Grateful for this opportunity to help.  And that’s how the little red cooler became the stepping stone to the metal building on 520 W. Pennsylvania Ave, and named the Chickasha Soup Kitchen.

What’s it like to serve there?  You push open a heavy glass door to a spotless kitchen lined with stainless steel counters, towering fridges and freezers, with shelves full of Pyrex bowls and stacks of cooking sheets, and pans, big pans and large holders for the stirring spoons and spatulas.  A tidy, clean place thanks to Bruce Alexander, who does the deep cleaning, and all our volunteers who wash and sweep.  And now the fun begins, the people coming in holding heavy pans with potholders and the aroma of fresh cooked, hot food. The sound of laughter and hellos.  The Awww sound when tinfoil is peeled away to reveal melted cheese and seasoned beef or something sweet like homemade brownies.  And all the noise of purposeful movement, of counting plates, making tea, warming up the oven, scooping ice into cups, or sitting at the table, visiting with friends, as you roll plastic utensils into napkins.  A grateful busyness.  For when the back door opens at 11:30 am we are there to serve, to welcome, to smile, to listen, to chat, and when asked to, share a prayer.  We the volunteers are grateful for the goodness our clients bring into our lives.  They bring the good stuff.  They bless us with appreciation.

Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Melody Beattie

Gratitude is like the threads of an interconnecting web.  It alternates between giver and receiver. It helps us live in community in a meaningful way. 

Our Clients

Gratitude bestows reverence..changing forever how we experience life and the world.

John Milton

Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices.

Robert Braathe

Many of our clients protect their privacy and don’t like their names to be used.  However, when asked,  “What are you grateful for?”  All had something to say.  Below are some of their comments.

“Hot food.  The greeters who are kind.  We need you”.

“That You’re here.  The good food.”

“All of us living.  God’s blessed us all.”

And the 3 children sitting with an aunt added,  “Life, Pie, Earth.”

We are grateful to our Volunteers and their spirit.

As we express our gratitude…the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

John F. Kennedy

I’ve been serving since the beginning.  I had gone out with food in Chickasha looking for people to feed.  Then I saw the CSK on Facebook and made contact.

In college I started helping at City Rescue Mission and learned a lot about working with people and that when you serve you are served.  About faith and about Jesus using me to further the kingdom.

People need to volunteer and you learn the most surprising things.  People are scared to go into impoverished areas.  One of our homeless clients made sure others were served first before he would take seconds.  Some of us who have less have more generosity than those of us with pocketbooks.

One of our clients struggles with problems and immediately knew she needed someone to pray with.  We prayed together for 10 minutes, it’s what her soul needed.

Kirsten S.

Some of them shared their thoughts on serving and why they keep doing it.

Dorothy G.  I was at a point in life where I could do it.  Clients are so appreciative.  They bless us.

Pat A.  Such a good cause and I’m glad it was started.  One day First Nazarene needed help and I had the time to do it.

I stayed because of the good leadership of our group, because I was doing something that helps.  We started during Covid.  It was really needed. I’m just a doer.

Cindy T. took some time to reflect and later texted this:

We are called to be God’s hands and feet here on earth.  Helping those that need a meal, yes, but showing the love of Christ to those who may have lost hope.  To help them have a moment of peace to sit and eat a warm meal.  To share a smile and warm hello to others while they are here.

Thank you for allowing us to be part of this ministry.

There are so many good reasons to volunteer, who knew finding romance would be one of them.  Valerie D. from East Side Community Churches has served since July 2022.

I began because Janice H. invited me.  I fell in love with another volunteer James D.  We stayed with it as a couple.  It’s really good when someone says, Thank You.

Her husband, James D. added, I’ve been serving since the beginning.  There’s a need in the community to feed the less fortunate.  The joy you see in people’s faces it’s rewarding.

All I’ve ever done is to try and help this community and there’s a need.  I like being able to meet new people, work with others, and so many in Chickasha are in need of food.

I’ve seen a lot of people who are retired, who go home and sit down and don’t do anything.  Sitting around and doing nothing.  Volunteering makes me feel good.  I was born and raised in Chickasha and Chickasha has been nice to me.  I want to give some of my blessings back.

 A few of our Donors

Cliff O. (left) and Tray A. (middle)  Widow Son Lodge #11 Chickasha

Lynda Cantu, CSK Moderator and Donor, Jack Donnellan

Jack serves with St. Luke’s and believes in the mission, “to help the needy and do my part.” 

We are grateful to the Board Members who serve

 The CSK crew starting left with the lady in the denim jacket, the ever working Phyllis Maloney, Kitchen manager, peeking out from behind, but no shrinking violet, is Zelma Anikputa, and the one with the big smile is our new Moderator, Lynda Cantu, the apprehensive one in the apron is the Vice moderator, Suzanne Jackson, and in the white hat is board member, the highly creative Kirsten Spray with her 3 beautiful children Lily, Bella and Rose, flanked by our previous Moderator Gina Crosley, who seriously Never Met A Stranger, and finally, Alva Charleson, whose spirit of joy and encouragement keeps us motivated.

No that’s not all of us.  Missing is Carolyn Spradlin, our secretary, who keeps us in line, Don Rabine, our community pantry connection and common sense guy, and Pastor Michael Oberlender, our treasurer, who keeps the CSK train running on time and heading forward.

Yes, this is a fun group, hardworking, visionary and committed to the CSK.  And Yes we are looking for new board members.  So if this is a mission you’d like leadership in come to a board meeting, meet us and hear what we do.  It meets the first Thursday of the month at 5pm at the CSK, 520 W Pennsylvania Ave, Chickasha.  Or just come by and add your thoughts and concerns.  We have open hearts and open ears.

As I start this year as Moderator I am guided by the words of John 3:16.  For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

God loves everyone.  He died for the homeless and the rich.  He gave his Son for us and we should take pride in that, that everyone is expected and needed.

I have been homeless myself.  I know the value of a soup kitchen and what it means to someone struggling.  And because I’ve been in the same shoes as some of our clients I’m in a good position to share that change can happen in your life.  Just because you’re homeless or have had some bad luck doesn’t mean you can’t have hope for yourself.

I think it’s important for a community to share its resources.  To show love and compassion to others.  The clients who come to the CSK don’t always feel worthy or that they matter.  But they do.  No matter what’s happened to them, our volunteers care and want to help.

I would like to see the CSK grow in its ministry, to be open six days/wk. instead of five.  To develop our resources in order to provide opportunities.  To change lives one person at a time.  To be a place of new beginnings.

We are Grateful for Our Donors

When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree.

Vietnamese Proverb

We are grateful for our donors, who keep the fridges and shelves stocked and the bills paid.

Pastor Bill Flores of Linked in Church (9th and Texas) partnering with the Community Alliance in Chickasha made a generous donation of 21 4lb bags of rice and 6 cases of rosemary and olive oil crackers.  He sees his mission as a walking, living, resource, working to help others overcome addiction and domestic violence.

Thanks to Armando Alvarado from Knights of Columbus Council 965 for their generous donation of $500

Thank You to...

DAV Grady County #17 for their donation of canned food.

Church of Christ on First and Georgia for their donation of water

Living Water United Body of Christ Pastor Omar and wife Zulema Fierro for their donations of Hostess cakes and juice beverages

The Mennonite Youth Group who donated 29 quarts of chili,1 large bag of cheese, 5x 48oz pickles, crackers and mustard

Hampton Hotel for their donation of boxes of plastic cutlery

Chicken Express for their continued donation of chicken and biscuits

And Shollies, who has shut its doors.  Shollies has been a generous supporter of the CSK.  Your donations of cookies and cupcakes were a delight to our clients and volunteers.

   We will miss you.

Also, this amazing tree pictured below was bought from the Hall of Trees, sponsored

   by Altrusa, and donated by Jack Donnellan

And we are grateful to those who started this journey with us and are taking a break, or that’s how I like to view departures.  Just know, Steve Taylor, we’ll always be looking for you to come through that door.

Thank you for your fundraising zeal and media savvy, for being the loud guy at the end of the table, we miss you.

We added Zelma Anikputa and Phyllis Maloney as Board members and Kitchen Managers and Bruce Alexander as custodian.

We welcomed Good Deeds and Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church as part of our CSK team.

Where you might have seen us in the community

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