User:Stephen Gordon Henderson/sandbox/The 24-Hour Soup Kitchen

Someone, somewhere, is always hungry. This obvious fact, but one that’s all too easy to ignore, confronted journalist Stephen Henderson with full force when he was on assignment in India. For it was here that he first learned of massive soup kitchens operated by Sikh houses of worship (or gurudwaras). After volunteering for a week at the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi — which feeds 20,000 men, women, and children every day — Henderson became curious about the very different ways in which hungry people are served free meals around the world. His research into global gastrophilanthropy — or, generosity devoted to nourishing the needy — resulted in The 24-Hour Soup Kitchen. As newspaper and magazine work dispatched him to places across America and abroad, Henderson added days to his itineraries, so he could learn about local customs of charitable cookery. This intriguing series of field reports brings the reader inside the clamor, chaos, and compassion of kitchens in places such as Iran, Israel and South Korea, as well as those in Austin, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. While the recipes, culinary methods, and clientele may vary, all the soul-stirring experiences narrated in The 24-Hour Soup Kitchen share a common theme: a great way to show love is through the gift of food. Written with a huge heart, and an even bigger appetite, these chapters — sad and funny, sometimes both — may inspire you to embark on your own acts of gastrophilanthropy.

“Giving food to the hungry is a sacred responsibility and joy. This beautifully written series of autobiographical vignettes relates how a minister’s child turned world-traveled writer discovered the various ways needy people are fed around the globe. Honest, colorful and at times even humorous, I highly recommend it.” — Gregory E. Sterling, Dean of Yale Divinity School

"When figuring out how to help the needy, our choices are actually quite simple: clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, and feed the hungry. We all know this, but too often we’re not sure where to begin.   Stephen Henderson decided to start small, by baking up a few batches of cookies.   From there, his culinary volunteerism grew, and took him to soup kitchens around the world.  His unusual and poignant book may inspire you to light a fire — under a charitable fry pan, and under yourself!“

— Charles King, Chief Executive Officer, Housing Works

“Like most of us Stephen Henderson felt guilty about eating well in a hungry world. Unlike most of us, he did something about it. This fascinating tale is incredibly inspiring. Wondering what you can do? Reading this book would be a good place to start.”

— Ruth Reichl, chef, food writer, and host of PBS’s “Gourmet’s Adventures with Ruth”

“A captivating and original book. This quest to learn more about gastrophilanthropy is at once a vibrant travelogue and deeply moving search for self. I devoured it and still wanted more!

— Cynthia Nixon, Actor and Activist

STEPHEN HENDERSON has worked as a public relations professional and journalist since graduating from Wheaton College in 1979, and Yale Divinity School in 1987. His career has taken a highly circuitous route, leading him at various times to write for and/or publicize clients ranging from Avon Books’ romance novels, Arrow men’s dress shirts, and Maxwell House coffee, to the Radio City Rockettes, Union Theological Seminary, and The John Templeton Foundation. His stories have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Town & Country, Food & Wine, Gourmet, Men’s Health and New York. He lives in New York City.