Cargill, owner of the Owensboro Grain Company, is donating $50,000 donation to the Daniel Pitino Shelter in support of the organization’s food program and soup kitchen.

The funds will primarily be put toward upgrades in the shelter’s soup kitchen, which include expanding cabinet space, installing new shelving, and modernizing the kitchen to improve service efficiency. The donation will cover the operational costs of the soup kitchen for 1 year.

“Cargill has been a huge blessing to us and will be a huge asset to our community,” Pitino Shelter Executive Director Harry Pedigo said. “These funds are helping us to redo our soup kitchen and fund a large portion of the operation side of the kitchen for a year.”

The new soup kitchen will officially be known as “The John and Kathy Wright Kitchen, sponsored by Cargill.” The Wright family originally owned Owensboro Grain Company.

“The Daniel Pitino Shelter’s food program is a vital resource in the community, annually providing over 72,000 meals to the public and more than 2,100 to in-house clients,” a release from Cargill said. “Cargill’s contribution is aimed at enhancing the shelter’s capacity to offer healthy and nutritious meals every day of the year. The improvement in kitchen facilities and operational funding will enable the shelter to uphold high food safety standards and increase food production.”

A portion of funds will also be designated for purchasing items that are often not donated, such as condiments, paper products, milk, and cereals.

The Pitino Shelter is located at 501 Walnut Street. Those interested in donating can learn more on the shelter website.