The Upstate Atheists from Spartanburg, South Carolina have worked with Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, and the Generous Garden Project, and they made plans this past spring to volunteer at the Spartanburg Soup Kitchen:

As one of the members told me, though, that didn’t work out too well:

We asked the director… whether or not it would be permissible for us to wear t-shirts with our organization’s logo on them. She told us that we were not welcome to volunteer at the Spartanburg Soup Kitchen because they are a “place of God,” and she knew “our motivations.”

Even after the group promised not to wear shirts with their logos — that they just wanted to help — the soup kitchen still refused to let them in.

So the atheists have come up with an alternative plan: With a permit from the city in hand, they’ll be giving away care packages for the homeless across the street from the kitchen (and other locations as well):

Each care package costs about $15 to assemble. They have socks, gloves, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, snacks, mini flashlights, lip balm, ponchos, etc. We are hoping to help the homeless prepare for the winter and give them thing they will be able to use.

They’ve already made about 30 packages, but they’d like to make a lot more. If you can help them out, please consider donating here!



