Raleigh soup kitchen in dire need of donations to feed hundreds of hungry men and women

After the hustle and bustle of Black Friday and Cyber Monday -- there's Giving Tuesday, a time to slow down and focus on volunteering and donating to those in need.

Posted 11:32 p.m. Nov 28, 2022 — Updated 12:47 a.m. Nov 29, 2022

Rick Armstrong

, WRAL Enterprise multimedia journalist

RALEIGH, N.C. — After the hustle and bustle of Black Friday and Cyber Monday -- there's Giving Tuesday, a time to slow down and focus on volunteering and donating to those in need.

One Raleigh soup kitchen says they are in dire need, as they try to help the growing number of people who are homeless or hungry.

Every day at lunch, hungry men and women line up at Shepherd's Table Soup Kitchen in downtown Raleigh. Regular volunteers help to meet that need, but executive director Tamara Gregory says it's been a very tough year financially.

"We posted a $20,000 loss last quarter, which has never happened in the history of our kitchen opening in 1980," said Gregory.

That's despite the fact that more people are moving to Raleigh - where new homes, high rise apartments and new corporate office buildings are multiplying.

"We could really use their money too, since they're part of this community now themselves," she said.

NC charitable giving rebounds in 2022, but need rising just as fast

Gregory says food costs are rising. Even those living on Social Security benefits or food stamps show up for a free meal.

"We're happy to take them in. But we're only one meal a day – and it's a good meal - and we give them a snack pack to take with them for the evening hours in hopes that that will sustain them 'til the next day," she said.

One volunteer from Cardinal Gibbons High School has brought a crew of students to volunteer – every single Monday for the past 20 years. His name is Gary Meyerl.

"That kind of exposure, you know, really helps our young people to become the men and women that God created them to be," said Meyerl.

That kind of regular help is invaluable, as Gregory says they need volunteers throughout the year - not just during the holidays.

List: 15 ways to give on Giving Tuesday

Right now, the kitchen now has plenty of volunteers - and gifts of donated food. Financial donations are now what they desperately need through the holidays and beyond.

"Realize what it is to have a meal each day on your table – and for those who don't, you can buy one for them," she said. "Just do what you need to do to help someone else this holiday season."

If you want to donate to a non-profit this year, try using sites like the Better Business Bureau's Give.org to verify which organizations make the best use of your donations. Consumer Reports also put together a list of national best and worst charities for your donations.

WRAL News has created a list of ways to help others locally on Giving Tuesday.

You can donate to Shepherd's Table Soup Kitchen on their website.

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