St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry President Kevin Little estimates that there will be about 18 different kinds of soup served at the pantry-sponsored Poor Man’s Supper Saturday.

The Poor Man’s Supper is intended to be “a very simple meal,” according to Little, and will include various types of stews, chowders and chilis, as well as a selection of breads and bread pudding made by a Greenville resident.

Little, who became the pantry’s president last year, said that the event was started more than 15 years ago by his predecessor Maureen Stenuis, as a way of thanking the community for its ongoing support during the season of Lent.

“St. Vincent de Paul relies on the generosity of many companies and individuals in our community so we can help best serve our neighbors in need,” he said. “We’ve got such a wonderful community that supports St. Vincent de Paul, so it’s a way to give back and give thanks to our supporters.”

Little had nothing but praise for the pantry’s volunteer kitchen staff, saying that they have been hard at work planning and prepping food for the event.

“We have really good cooks in the kitchen,” he said, expressing his excitement to taste the variety of dishes they plan to serve. He thanked volunteers Jeanne Cunningham and Fern Niemi for their hard work in planning and organizing the event.

While the planed menu is too large to detail in its entirety, Little noted that Greenville resident Claudette Parmenter would be providing the night’s dessert, homemade bread pudding.

He also thanked Ben’s Sugar Shack and The Maple Station in Temple for providing maple syrup to complement the bread pudding.

Aside from soups made in the pantry’s kitchen, Little said Johno’s Greenville Market would be providing gumbo to add to the selection, as well. He noted that the pantry would provide containers for people to take soup home, and that any leftover food would be served to pantry visitors over the course of the following week.

St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry and the Greenville Sacred Heart Church host several similar events throughout the year. In February, they held a pasta dinner, and there is a brunch coming up in May. Little was thankful that these events can continue now that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

The Poor Man’s Supper is being held at the Greenville Sacred Heart Church, 15 High St. in Greenville, on Saturday, March 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. Donations are encouraged but not required.