CINCINNATI — In the middle of a frigid Thanksgiving morning Thursday, hundreds sought warmth and a warm welcome inside Over-The-Rhine's Our Daily Bread soup kitchen.
Around 20 volunteers gave their time and talents this holiday to make a stranger's day that much better. In total, 399 guests arrived between 8:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. to receive meals and company.
"There's just a special lightness in the air when there's a holiday. And just keeping it fun, keeping it what people are used to when they see us and they come every day, and then just making sure those food's extra special today," Georgine Getty, Our Daily Bread executive director, said.
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The soup kitchen has seen a 30% uptick in demand for services over the years compared to their numbers pre-COVID, Getty said.
"70% of our guests are experiencing homelessness, and of them, 40% are living unsheltered, which means that they are staying outside in this cold right now," Getty told us. "If we can provide that little bit of respite, (if) that hot meal helps them get through, we're going to be there for them."
Among the helpers was Kenisha Cavitt. She's been working for the soup kitchen for just over a month and assisted with food preperation, which began on Tuesday.
"Without the volunteers, I probably feel like it would be a lot more hectic," Cavitt said. "It feels great because I see everyone out there just eating, they're happy and smiles on their faces, and they can come up as many times as they want to get more."
We also met Thomas Troper at Our Daily Bread. Having previously experienced homelessness, he now has a place of his own and says services like the soup kitchen are crucial to helping people get back on their feet.
A tear rushed down Troper's face as we spoke to him.
"They helped me. I got tired living on the streets, cold, hungry, I'm just tired of seeing the homeless like I was," Troper said.
