I Love Palm Beach
I Love Palm Beach
Serving Compassion in a Bowl: Inspiring Stories from a Soup Kitchen
Imagine, 40 years ago, three women, a mission and a donated van - that's where it all began. Today, that vision has transformed into a dedicated soup kitchen that served over half a million people last year. Our esteemed guests Marlene Mejia and Dmitri Virenci, CEO and COO of this amazing organization, join us to share their personal journey, the ups, the downs, and the immense satisfaction derived from good deeds. From Marlene’s heartfelt stories to Dmitri’s unwavering dedication, their tales of compassion and kindness are both inspiring and enlightening.
As we toast to their 40-year milestone with the upcoming anniversary gala, we delve into the heart of their fundraising efforts. This major event is more than just a celebration; it's the lifeline for the soup kitchen's operations, helping to ensure that 94 cents out of every donated dollar goes directly into feeding the needy. Hear about the transformative power of your donations, and the profound impact they have on lives. So, tie on your aprons, roll up your sleeves, and join us for this truly special episode that celebrates the spirit of giving, love, and community.
Hi everybody, welcome to. I Love Palm Beach and we have some guests here today from the soup kitchen, and we love philanthropy in Palm Beach County and this is something that's very dear to everybody's heart making sure that families have meals to eat. So we have CEO Marlene Mejia and we have COO Dmitri Virenci Virenci, did I get that? It's a beautiful day and they're going to chat with us. I'd love to hear about the origin of the soup kitchen and then how you guys got involved and why you're passionate about it.
Speaker 2:Okay, very good. Thank you so much for having us. First of all, we are delighted to be here with you today.
Speaker 3:We love what you've done. We've been on quite a few of them during this experience, so thank you for having us.
Speaker 1:We're so glad to have you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you. So going back 40 years, in 1983, three beautiful women from this area in West Boynton were determined to make a difference in the lives of the county's most unfortunate, which were the micro workers. At that time. They had a vision to feed the local poor. They were persistent and managed to secure a donated van, and that was the start the donated van. They used to provide soups and sandwiches to local hungry families. That's how the whole thing started.
Speaker 2:We haven't wavered since then. Really, to tell you honestly, we have not wavered since then. Our mission is to feed the needy, no matter what their circumstances. We continue to do that, in a much larger scale, of course, 40 years later, but we have not wavered. We do not charge a single penny for any of our products or our services of food, and people are welcome to join us from anywhere they are to come in. Every day, mondays through Saturday, we're open, and even on Sundays we have a few of the local homeless people that we feed. So we pretty much open every day of the year because hunger has no days enough.
Speaker 3:No breaks, no breaks.
Speaker 1:We eat every day, right? It's interesting that you said it started for mainly the migrant workers. We had a lot more farms than agricultural business here. How has that changed over the years? Do we still have an agricultural base that we're helping, or is it more young families, you know, people trying to make ends meet?
Speaker 2:Well, to put it into perspective, when we started, we were feeding about 10,000 people a year, wow. And the last count last year, in 2022, was we were feeding over 500,000 people a year. So our numbers have exponentially grown. We still have the farm worker, we still have the immigrant, we still have the person that needs to come in at least once a day and just grab food, but we have also expanded to many other people. We have moms with babies, we have local, we've even had local pilots, you know, who suffered through the inflation moments of the pandemic, who were not able to work. So we've seen them all. We don't judge them at the door. We do not ask for questions.
Speaker 3:Do not ask questions. It's a mixed crowd? It definitely is. Migrants are a part of them. However, nowadays, so many people are affected by the economy and challenging times, so we see a very, very, very mix of people that come through the door.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I mean, those numbers are astonishing to me 500,000 people. Do you have just the one location where people come, or are you distributing it throughout the county?
Speaker 3:Well, our main location, of course, is in the Boynton Beach West Boynton that we've been here for 40 years. However, we took our meals throughout the Boynton Beach all the way from west to east. We have over 100 people on the Meals on Wheels list that we deliver lunches and dinners on a daily basis at no cost to them. So we are one of the very few Meals on Wheels organizations that do deliver at no charge. Drivers dedicate their time and gas and the cars and we prepare meals at no cost as well, so this is one of the very unique programs.
Speaker 1:Okay, Well, first of all, I want to hear more about you two and how you got involved in this special cause. We both seem very passionate and joyous and wonderful people. You're making me want to get involved. Why don't we start with Marlene? Tell us how you got involved in why there's no important deal.
Speaker 2:I used to have a nursery right across the street from the little shack where the stupke to began in 1983. And my husband used to go there and do work for bone over there. And one thing led to another. He told me about this fantastic place. I went about 24 years ago and I got hooked. It was my once a week and then twice a week, and then I became part of the board and then I became part of the planning committee and then, when our my predecessor and Rikki passed away in 2020, I was asked by the board to come in and join them as the ED and CEO and it was the right thing to do. It was just the right thing to do. I get up every morning happy to be here, and I always find this a good place to be in. You know, it's not a sad place, it's a good place. We're able to help a lot of people in need.
Speaker 3:And you feel up at the end of the day.
Speaker 1:So, Harry, it's your turn. I'm putting you on the spot.
Speaker 3:Thank you. I came here as a volunteer back in 2018. Actually, my wife was the first one who came here and I used to work in food and beverage industry and she said why don't you come and join the super kitchen and help them out? And I started volunteering for about six months until Enrique at the time CEO offered a job. I stayed there throughout the pandemic. We lost all the volunteers. We had a very challenging times to continue being open because we had no help. Everybody was scared to go to public and we had, at some point, three volunteers I was one of them Worked throughout the pandemic. Things got. Things started coming back slowly but shortly, and now we have back to over 300 people volunteering with us. That's became home to me.
Speaker 1:So that's quite a number of people. I know you need them feeding 500,000 people. Who manages all of this volunteer staff?
Speaker 3:We have only five full-time and seven part-time, so volunteers are our main workforce. We are a volunteer-driven organization. They do require some management, however, a lot of them being with this soup kitchen for quite a few years, so they could be a very self-sustained. They know what to do, they know their role, they know how to feed the people, so all we got to do is give them a little attention, directions, and they will take it from there.
Speaker 2:The secret is the most highly efficient and impactful full-flight-flighted Palm Beach possibly South Florida, for two main reasons. Like Dimitri said, we're hugely efficient. Of every dollar spent, 94 cents goes back to the programs. So we are hugely efficient in that sense, as well as because we are a volunteer-driven organization and, only having five full-time employees and seven part-timers, we're able to do everything with our volunteers. We couldn't be ourselves if we did not have those two huge assets going for us.
Speaker 1:OK, so let's talk about the semantics of it. I'm sure there are several sources. Where are you getting all the food from?
Speaker 3:Local businesses, local supermarkets, farms, hotels, restaurants, local venues such as boat shows, golf events. We barely say no to anybody Actually, we never do. We appreciate every food that comes through the door. We go pick it up. We have over 150 stops on a weekly basis throughout the Palm Beach County, so we have a truck leaving every morning and every afternoon. We're anxiously waiting to see what we'll receive. We do not have any menus, so Chef works with what he has, so he looks through the items. He tried to be very creative. He want to make sure that every single person will have a protein, starch and vegetable on the plate so they have a nutritious meal that they can eat one right at the soup kitchen and take one at home. We also give them two hot soups, so we're trying to use every single source to make sure that the hot food will be available for the next day.
Speaker 2:Going back to the very efficient way of us doing it even food that we would not give to our own mothers, which is how we figure out the quality. We have a pig farm that comes. A pig farmer that comes once a day picks up all those leftovers, so everything is recyclable. Isn't that great to be able to? That is wonderful, absolutely yeah. We save over $10 million a year in wasted food and food that would end up in the dumpster will make it work.
Speaker 1:So let's say that you're a supermarket. Now are you donating food because you just want to give it to the cause where things are getting a little bit older, and you're just going to move them off your shelves? I'm just trying to figure out how that works.
Speaker 3:That could be multiple reasons. It could be that it's about to reach a due date. It could be that I have a very little bit of supplies left, so they need to clear our shelves for the new product. A lot of farmers have fruits and vegetables that have some imperfections. There is nothing wrong with them, but the look is not up to it. Hotels and restaurants might have a canceled event or people don't show up as expected, so they would call us and give us a food that haven't been used or exposed to anybody. So we try to rescue every single item.
Speaker 1:Supermarket and when some news get out there like I work on a lot of events helping with other charities and such, how do they know that you guys are available? I'm just trying to help get the word out there.
Speaker 3:From my perspective, I always try to reach out to our partner agencies, food banks and feeding cells where we'd like to and have invite деньги. Arlene tried to go to the local news stations. You might see her on ABC or CBS in the morning talking about hunger relief, and we use our social media podcasts. Everything matters. Volunteers are great ambassadors of the soup kitchen as well.
Speaker 2:So we have a wonderful following on Facebook and they're mainly made up of our neighbors. We used to say that we were the best kept secret in in Boynton because nobody knew about us, even people across the street. And they still don't, some of them. So we're doing our doing our best is it's not necessarily a good thing not to be known. We are trying our best to get out there, get the word out, and we're a grassroots company. We're not, you know, we don't have middle people, we don't. Everything that comes in goes out. We really, really try to do our best in fulfilling our mission.
Speaker 1:Okay, good. Well, I want to make sure that everybody listening to this has your social links, that we can do that or maybe something we can come and visit the facility and take volunteer. I do a lot of work with some ladies groups. Maybe we can bring some volunteers down and help out. I don't know what the holidays do. You seem to get more people on anything on a wish list that we can try to get for you.
Speaker 2:Absolutely so. We have a lot going on between now and, let's say, december 20. Let me mention the website is thesouppitchinorg. Okay, and that thanks to all of our programs, because we are so much more than food. We are about the diapers for the kids. We're about formula for for moms, babies. We are about lift up program, which is aging out of the foster care system young adults 18 to 25. We are about meals and meals outreach programs.
Speaker 3:We try to cover a lot more than just the soup.
Speaker 2:And then on Facebook we can be followed at the soup kitchen, off point and beach, as well as Instagram. Okay, that's what we tell our audience. You know, guys were short of diapers number six this year. This week we're in trouble and they always come through. They always really come through for us.
Speaker 1:I would love to help with that, absolutely.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Our wish list always changing, but currently we are in need of diapers sizes six, always looking for bigger sizes. For the kitchen part, we are always looking for cooking oil could be vegetable olive oil, anything that chef can cook with rice. Rice is always important because it's such a starch that that everyone appreciates and it has a long, life-shelving day at a time, so that will be always helpful. Thanksgiving is coming. Turkish Turkish are always in need. We're planning to give 1000 turkeys, maybe even more. We're hoping for large quantities of donations. Turkish always appreciate it. And then Christmas is coming. Meet the Santa event. Toys toys for kids, toys for teenagers. It's always in need.
Speaker 1:Well, we would probably really be able to help you with the toys drive this year. Thank you. We have another charity we give to, but we've been doing a lot of work for them lately. It's your turn, so we'll fix things up and we'll try to get some kids, some toys and some teenagers some things. You need.
Speaker 3:If you or anybody else would like to come and tour the place and look at the place, feel free to do so. We are here six days a week, monday through Saturday, and we are coming at 7am and we stand till 12, 1 o'clock sometimes. Feel free to do so. Stop by when West Boynton, 8655 Boynton Beach Boulevard, boynton Beach, right next to the Torm Pike exit. Our phone number is 561-732-7595. Give us a call, we'll work something together. There's always room for everybody. It's either bagging, packing, serving, marking barcodes, cooking in the kitchen. If you have the talent, chef always appreciates extra aisle. Show your creativity, give us a hand.
Speaker 1:Well, that sounds wonderful. It was so nice to meet both of you. We're going to get all this information out and we'll share the podcast with you so you can share it with your people too, and I look forward to seeing you both in person soon. Any fundraisers Do you do any fundraisers, something that we can talk about?
Speaker 2:Great question. We're so busy, you know, focusing on feeding the people that we forget that we need to do a fundraiser once in a while, and this year, marking our 40th anniversary, we have to throw a gala right, so we're perfect because we're two weeks away exactly today.
Speaker 2:It's November 2nd. It is our biggest fundraiser of the year and there are still some tickets left and sponsorship availability. It's all on the website that I gave you before the soup kitchen and we would love for people to come out and have a good time, but at the same time, everything that is made that night will go right back into the programs. Like I told you, 94 cents and for every dollar goes right back. So we would appreciate people to come and join us.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, thank you both again so much, and this is why we love Palm Beach. Huh, we do wonderful things here, all right, well, we'll be in touch and I hope to see you both soon and meet you in person.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Rebecca, for having us.
Speaker 1:All right, have a great day, guys. Bye, bye, bye, Bye, bye.