Faith & Spirituality
Jusst Sooup offers
much more than soup
Donations needed to enclose
porch for growing ministry
By Molly MacMillan
mollymac@hotmail.com
In 2018, the Rev. Dale Dunning
and her husband, Ken, have new
plans for their evolving Jusst
Sooup ministry on Cool Springs
Road in Milton.
The Dunnings recently an-
nounced they will enclose the
85-foot-wide front porch of the
church to create a private min-
istry room, and they are offering
an opportunity for Jusst Sooup
supporters to leave a permanent
mark at the church.
“People are here at all hours,
and they want to talk,” Dale
said. “You want them to have
some privacy and a nice, cozy,
comfortable place where they
can share. Community, I need
your help!”
After consulting several build-
ers, the lowest bid to enclose
the under-used front porch was
$40,000. Ken explained they ar-
rived at a creative plan to raise
the funds.
“We have 25 windows that
will be going in the new minis-
try room and three doors,” he
said. “A $1,000 donation will let
you put a name on the window; a
$5,000 donation will let you put a
name on a door. These can be in
memory of someone or in honor
and they will become a part of
our ministry room and church.”
As natives of the Cape Region,
Dale and Ken agreed that over
the 18-year tenure of Dale’s Jusst
Sooup kitchen, the community
has been generous in its support.
The need is real, they said. Each
Thursday, Ken said anywhere
from 60 to more than 100 people
fill the soup kitchen for a warm
meal, fellowship, and frequently,
they are seeking counsel from
Dale.
“Our main goal is to feed
people here,” Ken, said as he
nodded ‘hello’ to some of the reg-
ular ‘sooupers’ who came in for
lunch. “But often, people come
here, and they need to talk.”
With the dining room and
church often at capacity, Dale
said it’s difficult for people to
share their emotional stories in a
room full of strangers.
A weekly Bible study is crowd-
ed into a small corner of the
church when the soup kitchen is
busy, Dale said.
The back porch sees most of
the traffic, and is frequently filled
with donations, so they came up
with a plan to make better use of
the front porch.
The ministry is accepting do-
nations of all sizes in person,
online and via a gofundme page
online at gofundme.com/enlarge-
my-territory, Ken said.
“Five dollars or $10, everything
helps,” he said. “Dale has never
taken a salary, and all donations
go back to the ministry.”
64 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29 - MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 2018 Cape Gazette
MOLLY MACMILLAN PHOTOS
THE REV. DALE DUNNING is reaching out to the Cape Region for help to enclose the front porch at Jusst Sooup and
create a private ministry room.
Dick Lane, left and Jim Cook enjoy
broccoli cheddar and chicken noodle
soup at the Jusst Sooup Ranch.
Chicken noodle soup is a favorite for
‘Soouper’ Mike Henry.
Jusst Sooup volunteers (l-r) Katelin Davis, Mike Davis and Marie Robinson
close up another Thursday soup kitchen.
Ken Dunning shows off plans for the
enclosure at the Jusst Sooup Church.
The back porch space at the Jusst Sooup Ranch is frequently filled with dona-
tions and is a high-traffic area.
In summer, the back
yard at Jusst Sooup is
used for music and out-
door activities.
The Dunnings hope to raise enough funds enclose the little-used front porch
at the Jusst Sooup Church.
For information, go to
jusstsooup.org or
call 302-644-8113.
»
