Facing eviction, anonymous donor gives Wildwood Soup Kitchen $750k toward new building
By David Jones
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WILDWOOD, Florida (WESH) — Staff at the Wildwood Soup Kitchen are celebrating a Christmas miracle of their own: a $750,000 donation by an anonymous local foundation that has helped the organization eclipse its goal of $1.5 million to purchase a new building.
The soup kitchen has been facing eviction since it received a letter in mid-October from its landlord, the First Presbyterian Church of Wildwood, informing leaders that they had two choices: pay more rent and spend less time in the fellowship hall kitchen, or be evicted come December 31.
Since then, the organization has been aggressively fundraising and had met around half of its goal when the large donation came in.
“Words really can’t describe it,” said Jeff Hetrick, manager of the Wildwood Soup Kitchen. “When you go from being a little over halfway there to eclipsing the need, it’s really unbelievable joy and exuberance.”
Barbara McManus, president of the Board of Directors, said the foundation that donated the money wishes to remain anonymous.
“I just can’t get over it, it just blows my mind that somebody would do that and be able to do that generosity and not expect anything in return,” she said.
But the Wildwood Soup Kitchen’s fundraising campaign hasn’t ended.
The organization will close on the building, located on Main Street/U.S. 301 in Wildwood, on February 1. Currently, the building houses hot dog restaurant Coney Island Drive Inn.
McManus said, starting February, they will be able to start renovations with a tentative move-in date in April or May.
“We know that we want to upgrade a few of the equipment already there, we’ll remove some stuff that’s there, add some of our own stuff,” she said.
The goal now is to raise an additional $600,000 to help in that mission, which she said they’ve already raised around $150,000.
But, as for what happens to the soup kitchen in the meantime, McManus said that’s still up in the air.
Their lease at the church building ends December 31. McManus and Hetrick said they’ve been in negotiations with the church for a six-month extension, but haven’t inked a new deal.
“The problem is we only have two more days before we’re told we have to leave this building,” McManus said.
“I have no idea what the lease will have in it. I’m hoping it will have everything that we want it to be, in that case we can have a six-month extension.”
Still, she said she and the other staff at the soup kitchen are thankful for all the support they’ve received both from the community and across the country.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s one canned good or one dollar or 750,000 dollars,” Hetrick said. “They all make a difference and they all make an impact to feeding the needy here in the Sumter County area, some may think they’re not contributing but every little bit helps.”
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