Glasgow Community Soup Kitchen provides help for poorest town in Kentucky

Glasgow was recently named the poorest town in Kentucky in a recent study by 24/7 Wall Street, an online financial publication. 

WNKY found out how such a high poverty level affects the residents in the town and what is being done to help.

If you are driving around Glasgow you may think it looks like a bustling small town full of people and businesses, but the poverty level in Glasgow is higher than any other city in the commonwealth. A normal Glasgow household earns less than $30,000 a year, but there is a place ready to lend a helping hand. 

It may look like just a kitchen, but for many the Community Soup Kitchen in Glasgow cooks up more than just a hot meal. It’s a place for hope. 

"When people come here and eat, it helps them pay their other bills. If you can come here and eat four days a week, if that’s what you need to do and that helps you buy your medicine or pay your rent then we have done some good for the community." says Jerry Green, the chairman of the Community Soup Kitchen. 

For Jerry Green, this is not a hobby, its a passion. He walked into this soup kitchen in 2010 and it’s been a major part of his life ever since.

"I had never been in a soup kitchen in my life. I walked in, got the information that I needed, and walked back out. Needless to say the next Monday, I was here and I have been here ever since. It’s a blessing to me to help people. I don’t have a whole lot of money, but I do have a whole lot of goodness in my heart to help people." adds Green.

Jerry says the poverty rate is on the rise. He says in 2016, they prepared 14,000 meals and just a year later in 2017, they prepared 19,000 meals. That’s 5,000 more meals in just one year alone. 

The Community Soup Kitchen doesn’t just provide food, they also have a free clothing room provided by the Salvation Army. 

For Jerry and the other volunteers, they just want to help ease the burden of life for struggling Glasgow residents. 

The Community Soup Kitchen in Glasgow is open Monday- Thursday 11:30am- 1:00pm at 301 Bunche Avenue in Glasgow. The clothing room is open on Thursdays from 11:30am-1:00pm.

The Community Soup Kitchen is always in need of monetary donations.