Whatfs the difference between a soup kitchen and food pantry?
Soup kitchens or hot meal programs serve cooked meals on-site and are open at least once a week. Often these EFPs focus on serving a larger percentage of homeless people than food pantries. This is because people struggling to find a place to stay often lack the means to cook for themselves. Soup Kitchens are the most labor-intensive of EFPs because serving and cleaning demands a great deal of time. Food pantries distribute groceries, mostly for people who have cooking facilities. They are generally open at least once per week and are usually easier to run than kitchens. Some programs pre-bag food and use volunteers to pass it out. Other food pantries arrange the shelves like a grocery store, allowing guests to choose their own groceries.
