Hours:  11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. every day of the year

The Soup Kitchen has been in continuous operation since 1979, when it first opened at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Today, it remains Charlotte’s largest, oldest soup kitchen and the only one that serves a hot, nutritious lunch 365 days a year, with no questions asked or prerequisites for service. In our 30 year history, we have never once failed to deliver on our basic promise to hungry people – despite ice storms, heat waves, power outages, and ever-increasing demand.

The Soup Kitchen operates with a different volunteer crew each day (300 regular volunteers each month), under the direction of a full-time manager and part-time assistant. We receive food donations from Loaves & Fishes food pantry and from area catering companies and grocery stores. In addition, we purchase the bulk of our raw materials at Second Harvest Food Bank, at a cost of 16 cents per pound. When necessary, we purchase food from large volume discount chains such as Costco and Sam’s Club. We also receive free food from USDA sources.

In 2008 we served 99,973 lunches, a 20% increase over 2007 levels of 82,979, at a cost of less than 50 cents per meal.  In 2009, we served a total of 106,333 lunches, representing another 6 percent increase over already historic levels.

The Soup Kitchen meets a critical need not only by reliably meeting the growing demand for food, but also by being a welcoming front door for people living on the streets. The Kitchen serves as the point of entry to the continuum of services available through the Urban Ministry Center and the Homeless Services Network. We are the first place people turn to for food and, we hope, for help in addressing the core issues that impact their lives.

Soup Kitchen Wish List 

Paper towels
White sandwich bread (sliced)
Canned vegetables of all types
Sliced sandwich meat
Boxes of plastic spoons and forks (no knives)
Aprons (new or used)
Dish towels (new or used)
Sandwiches
Trash bags
Large containers of these supplies are appreciated but all sizes are welcome.

Want to help?

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• Bring and serve cold drinks at lunch -- contact our volunteer coordinators
• Make sandwiches – a great group project!
• Donate food & supplies. See the Wish List above.