The following success story was submitted by the Waterville Area Soup Kitchen. Dollars given to United Way of Kennebec Valley support this program as well as many others across Kennebec Valley. 
 
Trigger warning: The following story includes mention of suicide and mental health struggles. 

The Waterville Area Soup Kitchen offers a welcoming, nonjudgmental environment where guests can establish social connections and feel valued and respected. Many guests, including those who have overcome significant barriers, benefit from this engagement and are even given the opportunity to give back by volunteering. By serving meals and helping with other duties, these volunteers gain confidence and a sense of purpose. 

One visitor was an unhoused Veteran struggling with his behavioral health. One day at the soup kitchen, he expressed thoughts of suicide to a volunteer leader. After a supportive conversation, the volunteer connected him with a behavioral health provider who regularly visits the soup kitchen. He was able to receive support, which improved his mental health. He volunteered at the soup kitchen for a year and a half, eventually found work and housing, and says, “I wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for you. I came to the soup kitchen that day because I was cold. I was planning on ending my life that day. You sat down with me and talked to me like you truly cared, truly saw me, and truly heard me. I’m here today because of it.”