Ciara Benham
Staff Writer
[email protected]

In recognition of its efforts to help the community, Soup for the Soul was awarded the Kentucky Board of Education 2020 Kevin C. Brown Strategic Priority Award. 

Soup for the Soul is a non-profit soup kitchen that serves hot meals to the Murray community. 

“Our mission is to serve the hungry of our community by sharing the love of God through giving food for the body, kindness for the soul and a hope for the future,” said Program Manager and Volunteer Coordinator Olivia Robison. 

On Feb. 3, the organization was presented with the Kevin C. Brown Strategic Priority Award. This award recognizes an organization which has made it a top priority to provide for the well-being of Kentucky’s students and provides them with high-quality educational experiences.

Soup for the Soul qualified for this award because of their Summer Lunch and Literacy program that delivers food and age appropriate books to children in our community each week of the summer. 

Nominated by one of their own board members, the volunteers at Soup for the Soul were making a change in Murray.

“We were humbled really,” Robison said. “It was just further validation that the program we provided did have a positive impact on the children and families in our community.”

In the last year, COVID-19 has heavily impacted how Soup for the Soul has to operate. When the pandemic began, the team had to adhere to new guidelines and put their volunteer teams on hold. 

“We went from rotating through about 150 volunteers a month to running on a staff of about three,” Robison said. “We also shut down our indoor dining because we were too small to adhere to regulations and still feed all of our people in a feasible amount of time.”

Despite the setbacks, the volunteers worked tirelessly to make sure they were providing the same quality and quantity of food. Since March, the organization has offered to-go meals through a walk up window.

Robison said her favorite part of working at Soup for the Soul is the people she gets to meet. Robison has always loved people, but through the organization she has learned to love the stories they have to tell. 

“There is much to learn from other people if you just take time to listen,” Robison said.  “I enjoy getting to come alongside them and work together to figure out what would be helpful for them in the moment…that may be a meal, a conversation, or even a coloring book.”

Soup for the Soul has a main kitchen location in downtown Murray that serves warm meals from Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. This service is open to anyone in the community, including Murray State students. 

“I want our community to know that Soup for the Soul is available to any who are hungry, no requirements, no questions asked,” Robison said. “We want to be a resource for students, but feel like they often do not see us as an option. We are more than happy to help in any way that we can. That is what we are here for.”

Students who are interested in volunteering for Soup for the Soul and the Summer Literacy Program can email Robinson for more information at [email protected].