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Soup kitchen battles rising food insecurity in Corvallis

Terah Bennett

After Rob Kirby, 51, prepares a record-breaking 180 meals at Stone Soup Corvallis, a soup kitchen, he says he feels accomplishment, but also an acute sense of despair.’Why are the numbers so high?’ he said. ‘Does the larger community of Corvallis know how pressing this need is and that it’s just growing?’Stone Soup, the volunteer-run nonprofit where Kirby is a lead cook, has experienced a nearly 40% increase in demand this year compared to this time last year. The soup kitchen, which operates three locations out of church kitchens and one drive thru, served a record 42,000 meals in 2021.

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