DANVILLE — All the last minute preparations are being made to open a new soup kitchen to serve meals to those in need.

The Heart of God Soup Kitchen will serve its first hot meals from 3 to 5 p.m., Thursday, June 17 then be open the last 10 weekdays of each month.

Pastor Mark Meeker with the Prayer Connection Lighthouse church in Danville says helping those less fortunate in the community is something the church has tried to do over the past 22 years.

“I think many needy people are going to benefit from this new soup kitchen,” Meeker said. “It’s at the end of the month when some families have the need for a nice hot meal.”

Meeker and his congregation started the soup kitchen with the help of volunteers, like Rachel Ferrell of Foster.

“We stand on scripture,” Ferrell said. “Mathew 25 verse 35 says, ‘For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.’”

Ferrell says the need is here, especially for school-aged children out of school for the summer.

“For some children, the meals at school are all they get,” she said. “When summer comes, many children don’t get a good hot meal for dinner.”

Ferrell says goal is to get food to those truly in need.

“There is no requirements, except we will not offer take-out meals,” she said.

Ferrell says she volunteers because she wants to make a difference in her community.

“To do what I’m doing is what I’m called to do as a Christian, being an extension of Christ by doing his work in the world,” she said.

Ferrell adds that the shelves in the food pantry are still in need of donations.

“Canned foods are needed mostly, but also soups, sandwiches and pinto beans are needed as well,” she said.

They can also use some more volunteers and community service hours can be earned by volunteering at the new soup kitchen.

“All you need is your food handler’s permit if you work with the food,” she said. “Any individual, business, church or other type of organization that would want to help by donating it would be greatly appreciated and used to feed the needy. Nobody gets paid here. We are all volunteers. It is not government-funded and totally relies on donations from the church and the community.”

Donations can also be mailed to Pastor Mark Meeker, Prayer Connection Lighthouse, P.O. Box 159, Danville, WV 25053.