It is not
uncommon for
her to whip
up some
homemade
chicken soup
and fresh
bread to
take to sick
friends or
neighbors.
She doesn't only do it once in a while, though. For the past 15 years, she and her husband, David, have been making homemade soup and sandwiches and taking them to the Salvation Army on East Main Street.
About twice a month, Colburn cooks up a five-gallon pot of chicken soup and throws in noodles from her sister's noodle factory in Indiana.
Her sister donates the broken pieces she can't use and Colburn adds potatoes, onions, carrots, celery and rotisserie chicken. The latter ingredient sometimes is donated by Kroger; other times, she buys the chicken.
The food preparation is an all-day process. Oftentimes, the couple also takes bread and a pound of lunch meat and cheese for the people there to make sandwiches.
"It's good, homemade soup that sticks to the bones," Colburn said. "It isn't for myself; it's because I want to help all the people unemployed."
Colburn is one of several volunteers who help the organization fulfill its mission, Salvation Army Volunteer Coordinator Kaye Hartman said.
Colburn's soup, which feeds about 50, provides one if not two meals for the hungry. The Salvation Army provides three meals a day to the residents in the shelter and their soup kitchen is open to the public during the last two weeks of the month. The organization never turns anyone away.
"(Monday), we had 34 people for lunch, which is a big number being so early in the month," Hartman said. "During our soup kitchen, it's not uncommon to have 100-plus."
Colburn's soup accomplishes two things for the Salivation Army: It frees up the cook to concentrate on the numerous other meals she has to prepare, and it also helps stretch food supplies for another meal.
Hartman describes the mission of the Salvation Army as the three S's: soap, soup and salvation.
Her mother always told her that the way to help people is by letting them be clean, feeding them and leading them to God. At the shelter, they do all three of those things. One of the Majors or an officer is available to talk to people about salvation if they desire.
The Newark Eagles recently had a bean supper, and afterward brought their leftovers to the Salvation Army.
"These folks that take their time and do stuff for us, they are the backbone of the Salvation Army," Hartman said. "We can't do what we do here without volunteers. They make it work."
Hartman said the Salvation Army always could use more food donations.
Colburn, 67, plans on making soup for many, many more years.
"I'm retired, and I like to help the Salvation Army feed the people," Colburn said.
This article reprinted from the Advocate by permission. L.B. Whyde can be reached at (740) 328-8513 or lwhyde@newarkadvocate.com.
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