Thursday evening was as chilly and rainy as they come in Bainbridge, a time for bundling up and staying indoors. But one place in the city was doing everything it could to make sure those less fortunate had a hot meal in their bellies and a smile on their faces.

The Bainbridge Soup Kitchen’s mission is to serve the poor and homeless in the community by sharing the love of God through a hot meal. After their second year in their location at the Bainbridge Church of God on Independent Street, the ministry continues to grow and change lives every week.

What started with just 12 patrons their first night two years ago has expanded to regular crowds of around 60 people or more dining in. The Soup Kitchen also makes personal meal deliveries to those who are homebound or elderly.

“It took a while to learn what we could and couldn’t do,” Senior Pastor Jaime Rivera said. “It was a slow grow, but I think we learned more and more as we went, which made the ministry more profitable—more efficient. We slowly began to learn how we could minister to them as a church without bombarding them with the gospel.”

Thursday, 45 meals were served to patrons who dined in. Fifty-seven were delivered to those who weren’t able to make it from their homes.

For Soup Kitchen Director Cathy McAnelly, visiting someone’s home is more than just dropping off a plate of food, it’s a chance to offer companionship, interaction and prayer.

“They look forward to me coming up there,” McAnelly said. “And it’s not so much me bringing the boxes to them. It’s that interaction that they miss and don’t get on a daily basis.”

Rivera said when they began the delivery system, they made a vow not to stop after two weeks. Those involved, from the cooks to the greeters, are committed to the ministry and bringing a little more joy into people’s lives, and that includes their own.

“I’ve come in this place after having the worst day ever,” McAnelly said. “Five minutes after I’m in here, it’s a different world.”

Two years in, the Soup Kitchen workers will tell you they don’t plan to stop. Rivera’s ultimate vision is to have other churches in Decatur County join in the meal deliveries.

“We’ll supply the food, we’ll make plates,” Rivera said. “We just can’t make the deliveries everywhere. We’re hoping to get around Decatur County as much as we can to make that happen and gets these plates in homes.”

The Bainbridge Soup Kitchen is open every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Bainbridge Church of God, 205 Independent St., Bainbridge, Georgia.