As in years past, the United Methodist Women at Clanton First United Methodist Church saw a steady flow of people file into the Helen E. Parrish Activity Center for soup and baked goods Tuesday.

The UMW’s Soup Day and Bake Sale is its largest annual fundraiser for local and global missions, including Raleigh’s Place, Relay For Life, Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center, Snack Sacks and sponsoring a child from India.

All proceeds from the $6 dine-in or carryout meals of vegetable beef soup, corn muffins and dessert, as well as baked goods sold separately, benefit UMW missions.

“This is our biggest service project,” UMW member Doris Reynolds said. “We usually make several thousand dollars. The money goes toward missions that we see fit to help with.”

Reynolds said by the time she joined Clanton First United Methodist Church in 1969, the Soup Day and Bake Sale was already established.

“I’ve been working it since the early ’70s,” Reynolds said. “We started holding it on Election Day a few years ago. Normally, we have a bigger turnout on Election Day since people are out and about anyway.”

The food is always homemade and served by UMW members.

Reynolds said UMW currently has 50 members.

Elisabeth Cleckler is the Soup Day chairwoman.

Clanton resident Sally Davis said she has attended Soup Day and the Clanton First United Methodist Church Men’s Pancake Day for many years.

“These are two events I don’t miss,” Davis said. “I’m going to eat somewhere, so if I can support and help them out, that’s what I like to do. It’s not just a church-wide thing; it’s the community.”

As she surveyed the crowded activity center Tuesday afternoon, Reynolds said she sees both familiar and new faces at the event each year.

One familiar face is Clanton Mayor Billy Joe Driver.

“I’ve been coming off and on ever since they’ve had it,” Driver said. “You get a good meal, it’s good to meet friends and it goes to a good cause.”

Reynolds said she and fellow UMW members and volunteers started setting up for the event on Monday and arrived at the church Tuesday morning to put the finishing touches on the meal and prepare to serve attendees from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“It’s always nice to bring new people in to help with it,” Reynolds said. “It’s kind of a community event. We have fun and fellowship.”