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SCHOOL NEWS

Matt 14 Kitchens – Serving Soup for 3 Years

Wednesday, 08/11/2017 Posted by: Marketing

Northpine students have been blessed by Matt 14 Kitchens for the past three years. Bible and Religions Teacher, Ian Baskin, started the soup kitchen in 2014. Every day at lunch time, the kitchen opens to serve students soup and bread. From the outset it has been extremely popular among the students. Patrons on 31 October were happily surprised by a birthday cake!

Mrs Jessica Jenkinson interviewed Mr Baskin on the occasion of Matt 14 Kitchens’ third birthday.

JJ:  Couldn’t help noticing this week the soup kitchen celebrated a third birthday!  What happened three years ago?

IB:  The soup kitchen went “full time”—serving the college every school day.  It is also the day, that three years ago, the current Year 12 took the kitchen under its wing, promoting it and giving it a name.

JJ: So what did they call it?

IB:  Matt 14 Kitchens—because Matthew 14 is the chapter of the Bible in which Jesus feeds the 5,000

JJ:  I suspect you didn’t have quite so many on that first day!  What was the initial response?

IB:  The student response was quite overwhelming—we served 90 cups of soup that day.

JJ:  How has patronage been since then?

Students at the soup kitchen

IB:  We start the year providing about 30 meals a day and on a “good day” we can see over double that.

JJ:  I know why! Even on a normal day the smells coming from the kitchen make it hard to stay away. Add garlic bread and . . . not even I can help coming in!   So on average, would you say 50 cups of soup a day?

IB:  Yes, Jess. Typically we are making 10 litres of soup a day.

JJ: Wow. That is a lot of soup 5 days a week, 40 weeks of the year! You say the kitchen went “full time.” Was it part time before then . . . ?

IB:  Yes, the Bible Department basically funded a day about once a fortnight for the six months leading up to that day three years ago.

JJ:  Does the Bible Department still fund it?

IB:  No.  It is now funded entirely by unsolicited donations from those who appreciate what it contributes. Anyone can contribute if they would like to.

JJ: Well, I really appreciate the sense of community in the room . . . and the sense of community it brings to the college . . .  and . . . the really healthy meal.

IB:  Funny you should mention that, Jess. I have had mums come and tell me that they couldn’t interest their kids in such healthy food at home.

JJ:  You have been the patient and generous cook behind most of those cups of soup. Happy birthday to Matt 14 Kitchens! And thank you to you, Mr Baskin, for your tireless work in there.

IB:  It is not a one-man-band Jess; I must say thank you to Brumby’s (Burpengary) and the Hills Family who supply us with bread. Thank you also to the Brosnan family’s business, TT Building Surveyors, who keep us stocked with environmentally-friendly paper cups. Finally, a huge thank you to those who donate money and food stuffs to keep the kitchen smiling every day! We couldn’t exist without you.