Angel House Soup Kitchen celebrating 40 years serving Austin homeless

The Lord alone may know how many sandwiches have passed through the doors of Austin Baptist Chapel’s Angel House Soup Kitchen, but the gospel conversations and conversions that have occurred since its founding 40 years ago have made an eternal impact.

Cindy and Mark Smith serve as directors of the soup kitchen at Austin Baptist Chapel, founded in June 1986 by Frank Deutsch, who led the ministry for nearly three decades. In 2015, the Smiths left their home in Dublin, Ga., to direct the outreach and give Deutsch a break. 

“Back in 1986, there was no one but the Salvation Army that would serve a hot meal for guests,” said Cindy Smith, who serves as volunteer coordinator for the ministry. “Frank didn’t know how it was going to happen, and it was just him and his family making soup on the weekends. He was the director of the Austin Baptist Association at the time.”

Since the Salvation Army served an evening meal, Deutsch and company opted for a small continental breakfast and a lunch to serve the hungry in Austin. While not all those who visit Angel House are homeless, they do make up a vast majority.

Since the pandemic in 2020, Angel House has delivered meals in a curbside format. With the small facility and the numbers averaging around 500 per meal, there is no room to move the operation inside, and operate smoothly and quickly. 

And while meeting physical hunger needs is their main focus, the ministry is very mindful of opportunities to make spiritual impact. Mark Smith, who serves as the ministry's pastor, often catches up with guests and prays with them as needed. An army of volunteers – who come from other churches, businesses and civic organizations – is on hand to help with all aspects of serving and to pray with guests. 

Providing dignity for Angel House guests 

For the past five years, Mark Smith has been making rounds to pick up donations each weekday from 12-15 different restaurants or stores, and he often takes along one or two guests to further grow relationships and pour into people directly.

“I ask Moe, [a guest-turned volunteer], to help me pick out [a guest]… and we make sure they get a good shower, and I take them to get a haircut as well,” Mark said, noting a local barber college will provide the service for free. “I try to find out their stories and just talk to them. A lot of them feel like nobody sees or hears them. One guy told me, ‘I talked to you more in one day than I’ve talked to anyone in three months.’ If we can make a difference in one life, it’s been a good day.”

Mark said besides gospel conversations, he is able to provide dignity and a listening ear that has transformed many of the guests who accompany him. One man told Mark he had planned suicide that day but was in much better spirits after spending the day together. And there’s one other side benefit to the ride-along practice.

“They get to see how the ministry works behind the scenes and how it helps other ministries,” said Mark, explaining that anything Angel House can’t use is passed along. “One thing God says is you can’t outgive him, so we give to different ministries, and it just keeps coming back to us. Nothing gets wasted.”

Cindy said that the ministry also has a clothing closet and three shower stalls available for guests to use. There is also a free store containing donated items homeless guests may need, such as over-the-counter medications, backpacks, baby wipes and toiletries.

Building relationships, planting seeds with volunteers and guests

On Sundays, Austin Baptist Chapel hosts different pastors who give a message outside prior to the doors opening for food service. Cindy said guests are often already in line for food, making them a natural audience. Once the doors open, the process is fast and furious, but it’s intentional, too.

“We don’t make them listen to the service, but if they are there in our public space, we are just praying the pastor’s voice will reach their ears and the Holy Spirit will take over,” Cindy Smith said. “I wish we could be more hands-on, but we serve about 500 meals a day so it’s fast. But in that moment, if someone asks [us] to pray with them, we will stop, pull them aside and pray.”

The same principles often apply to volunteers, some of whom have no faith and others who have very different faiths from the Smiths. Cindy Smith said that a growing number of Muslim volunteers have visited Angel House, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity to let God work.

“I don’t know what God’s doing and what He’s trying to teach me, but this is really touching my heart with the volunteers coming in. I just want to hug them and say, ‘I wish you could meet my Jesus,’” Cindy Smith said. “A lot of this is just building relationships with those that come regularly. If it’s a one-time person, I just pray that something that was said takes root. We could be the first plant of a seed, or we can be the last. Wherever we play a part in that, God is taking that seed and carrying it. He’s the only one that will get across to people.”

Believing that employment can be a key factor in changing the lives of their guests, the staff and volunteers at Angel House are always looking for individuals they can help through small tasks around the facility or references for work.

“Our staff volunteers are guests that we get to know, and if we see they can work and are reliable, we take them under our wing. We give them responsibilities inside or something simple like going in the neighborhood and picking up trash. If they can be faithful with that… we are watching their character and seeing if they can handle a workforce environment,” Cindy Smith said. “That’s when God brings these job opportunities in. My husband will hear about somebody hiring or ask him if he has someone reliable. He tells the guests his reputation is on the line, and they don’t want to disappoint him. It shows he has faith in them and it builds self-respect in them.”

In the population they serve, Cindy Smith said it is not uncommon to deal with guests with mental illness or criminal records, and they often do not even know their real names. No matter what, they are treated with dignity and respect.

Hunger Offering funds, other donors show God’s provision 

The ministry has done little formal fundraising over the decades, but Cindy Smith said they started an effort in 2025, after having the opportunity to construct a new, larger building, to house the ministry and allow them to bring the operation inside and provide dignity for guests.

“The founder and I had met with an architect just to see how much it would cost, and then this guy just showed up offering to match what we raise dollar for dollar. So we are tearing down our current location and rebuilding much larger,” Cindy Smith said.“Things like that remind us that He is the one that is in charge of this.”

Cindy Smith said when the ministry is running low on food, they see donors come through to meet those needs every time, showing God’s favor and provision. And for a ministry that operates all but two days each year – closing only on Thanksgiving and Christmas – those needs can be looming.

One of the ministry's key partners has been the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering, which helps ensure that their meal service remains uninterrupted.

“[The Hunger Offering funds] help us make sure our guests are given that meal they rely on every day. It fills in when we are lacking because something in another area costs more money, like the light bill,” Cindy Smith said. “The Hunger Offering helps us buy lunch meat or stuff for soup. It fills that [need] in a faithful way, and we deeply appreciate that.”

The ministry is praying for the continued funds for its new building, which Cindy said will be here for years to come and ahead of its time for whatever those needs are. The team prays for discernment and wisdom in the issues that will come with transitioning to a new building. Prayers also continue for spiritual conversations and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in dealing with both volunteers and guests.

The Texas Baptist Hunger Offering is emphasized in Texas Baptist churches on the 5th Sundays in each year and on Mother’s Day. To learn more visit hungeroffering.org. 

The next 5th Sunday is August 30. Join in the fight against hunger today by giving a gift at hungeroffering.org/5th-sunday.