Final answer:
Nathan comes to hear about the concept of a soup kitchen by overhearing it in a conversation. Soup kitchens are a response to economic hardships and an example of community organizations stepping in to feed the hungry, especially where government relief is insufficient.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nathan comes to hear about the concept of a soup kitchen through option b) He overhears it in a conversation. The situation Nathan finds himself in is not described here, but it can be assumed this is a work of fiction or a case study scenario.
Soup kitchens came into existence due to the dire need during times of economic hardship, especially when there was no or little government relief available. They serve as community-organized efforts to provide meals to those who are in poverty, such as the urban poor mentioned, who may be scrounging for food in garbage cans, begging on street corners, or waiting in bread lines for nourishment.
The emergence of soup kitchens is often associated with compassionate responses to social issues, where community members step in to provide for the less fortunate. This aligns with the larger question of how society provides for those in need, such as someone escaping domestic abuse, an immigrant starting anew, or a homeless individual seeking a meal, all of whom may rely on the services of a soup kitchen at some point in their lives.
Therefore answer is c) A traveler tells him about it.