Proper food handling skills, a clean bill of health and a big heart make up the ingredients of Shelley Jefferson’s kitchen.

In the last week, the assistant principal at Helen Haller Elementary gathered a growing base of volunteers to help with a new soup kitchen out of the Sequim Boys & Girls Club during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve just been seeing what’s happening with families statewide and here,” Jefferson said.

“I felt a call to action to help.”

Four nights a week (Monday-Thursday), volunteers make one of 10 soups and deliver them the next night (Tuesday-Friday) to several apartment complexes: Elk Creek, Mountain View, Seabreeze and Vintage at Sequim.

In the first week, Jefferson said, volunteers delivered soups over four nights to 32 homes with 47 adults and 38 children between the three apartment complexes.

This week, at least 96 people signed up to receive soup and bread between the apartments.

“I wanted to reach out to the apartment complexes because I knew they were some of the most impacted people in the community,” Jefferson said.

She spoke with Andra Smith, executive director of Sequim Food Bank, and began coordinating with her for supplies, such as bread, dry and canned food and meat.

Smith said the food bank partners often with local groups and churches for meals and soup kitchens like this.

“This totally fits within our mission and what we do,” she said.

Scoop on soup

Prior to delivery, flyers went up at the apartment complexes for residents to sign up.

Jefferson said important elements of the soup delivery is that sign-ups are ongoing, soups can go to anyone in the buildings — not just families — and the program will continue into the foreseeable future.

Vintage at Sequim started receiving deliveries this week, and once the program becomes more established, she plans to explore expanding offerings to housebound seniors, too.

Soups include: chili, vegetable beef, split pea, white chicken chili, chicken and rice, loaded baked potato, lentil, taco soup, chicken noodle, and beef barley lentil.

“I’m hoping it tastes so good to them that it’s a treat,” Jefferson said.

Volunteers bring sealed food to residents’ front doors, knock, and leave to limit any possible contamination. Residents can freeze the food if they want if they don’t want to warm it up that night, Jefferson said.

Those making deliveries don’t have to hold a food handler’s permit, but they must in order to prepare food in the kitchen.

Volunteer/donate

For now, Dungeness Community Church and Sequim Community Church volunteers will each cook and deliver soups one night a week while Sequim School District staff volunteer the remaining nights.

“It’s exciting to see how many people are excited to come and help,” Jefferson said.

The soup kitchen works under the umbrella of the Sequim Food Bank, and the Boys & Girls Club’s kitchen is approved by Clallam County Health Department.

While many ingredients come from the food bank, some soup items such as dried beans, carrots and meats have come from private donors.

To donate, email Jefferson at sjefferson@sequimschools.org.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.

Volunteers, from left, Shelley Jefferson, Shelley Langston and Shawn Langston bag and prep soup to deliver to area apartment complexes on April 21. As long as there is need, volunteers plan to make soup four nights a week during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jefferson said. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Barbara and Mike Lippert prep vegetables for soups to be delivered to apartment complexes from the Sequim Boys & Girls Club. They were some of the first volunteers to step up to help prepare soups for local apartment complexes. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Andy and his mom Anita Benitez prep ham for split pea and ham soup during a recent night of soup prep. Anita is one of many Sequim School District staffers volunteering with the program. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Shawn Langston, Sequim High School principal, drops off a bag of soup on a porch at Seabreeze Apartments on April 21. Residents at four Sequim apartment complexes are offered soup four nights a week for the foreseeable future during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash