By Dottie Kreps—
MUNCIE, IN—The volunteers and staff of the Soup Kitchen of Muncie witness the reality of hunger in our community everyday. Some guests arrive each morning for a cup of coffee and to chat before getting their food and heading out to face the day. Others are new faces seeking a hot meal and a welcoming space. No matter who walks through the doors, each person is greeted with a smile, respect, and compassion.
In 2024, the Soup Kitchen served over 47,000 individuals—providing more than 94,000 meals. The need has not decreased in 2025. The Soup Kitchen’s goal is simple but critical: to ease burdens so that our neighbors can focus on things like turning in a job application or preparing for an interview without worrying where their next meal will come from.
To support this work, the Soup Kitchen of Muncie is hosting its first-ever Farm to Table Dinner Fundraiser—an evening of food, music, and community.
Guests will enjoy a three-course dinner made from locally sourced ingredients provided by area farmers and producers, many of whom also donate regularly to the Soup Kitchen. The meal will be prepared by local chefs Aaron Dodd and Christiana Mann, with assistance from hospitality and culinary students. In true farm-to-table style, the menu will be finalized closer to the event based on what’s fresh and available from local farms—much like the Soup Kitchen, where meals are sometimes shaped by donations of fresh produce.
Dinner will include an appetizer, entrée with sides, and dessert. Each ticket includes one drink, with additional beverages available for purchase from Roho’s cash bar.
The event will take place on Wednesday, September 17, at The Carriage House. Dinner and live music will be featured from 7 to 8 p.m., followed by keynote remarks from local author Kelsey Timmerman from 8 to 9 p.m. Guests will then enjoy a Q&A session and book signing, as well as the opportunity to bid on silent auctionitems and receive a complimentary copy of Kelsey’s newest book, Regenerating Earth. Tickets are $100 per person.
For an enhanced experience, guests may purchase a VIP Reception + Dinner ticket for $130 total. From 6 to 7 p.m., VIP guests will enjoy wine, cheese, and chocolate under the oak trees, featuring selections from Pilgrimage Wine Company, Queer Chocolatier, and Tulip Tree Creamery. Space for the VIP reception is limited.
Tickets and additional event details are available at soupkitchenofmuncie.org.
Spend the evening with us and enjoy good food, lively conversation, and help support our mission of feeding our neighbors in need.
About the Soup Kitchen of Muncie
The Soup Kitchen of Muncie is a non-profit, non- sectarian soup kitchen that serves those in need of food in Muncie, Indiana and the Delaware County Community. It serves all who are hungry with dignity and respect. Guests receive a hot meal and also a sack dinner.It serves meals Monday through Friday 9:30 to 11 a.m.
