The St. Mary / St. Philip Soup Kitchen Ministry’s mission is to feed those who are hungry as an expression of our service to God. We minister to the homeless and hungry not merely to be good citizens; but primarily because we believe that Jesus can be encountered and loved in those most in need, particularly in the poor and marginalized.
If you have any questions, please call 508-839-3993 x10 or e-mail [email protected].
We resumed signup for Taco Dinner donations. It's been going well and the slots are being filled up each month. THANK YOU!
We will bring a taco dinner to 3 shelters (drop-off only). We hope to add others once they are accepting meal donations again.
We will continue accepting donations of grocery cards, or cash or checks to purchase grocery cards to send to the programs. Please direct these to the Parish Office at St. Mary's, Attn: Jill Sullivan.
Please visit the Soup Kitchen Table in St. Mary's Gathering Space to review the menus. Your help is needed and very much appreciated!
WHO WE ARE: The Soup Kitchen Ministry was established in 2001 and with the help of parishioners, it continues to grow and much is accomplished. The ministry fosters an opportunity for participation in outreach within the parishes, and offers those we serve in the community dignity and hope through kindness and warm hospitality. By serving in this ministry, we’ve gained a greater awareness and better perspective on homelessness and hunger, and the real problems and challenges that people face that find themselves in these circumstances.
WHO WE SERVE: We serve our brothers and sisters in need where we find them: Friendly House, Dismas House, Jeremiah’s Inn, Abby’s House, Visitation House, through St. Mary’s Market Sunday Ministry, the Interfaith Hospitality Network, and the Community Harvest Project. We recognize the tragedy of drugs, alcohol, mental illness, domestic violence, unemployment and poverty, and we reach out and feed those in need in Worcester County.
WHEN WE DO IT: The Soup Kitchen currently serves at 5 different shelter/projects throughout Worcester County, and provides over 2,300 meals per year to those in need within the community.
ABBY’S HOUSE (last Thursday of every month; food collected on Wednesday)
DISMAS HOUSE (2nd Tuesday and 4th Tuesday of every month)
FRIENDLY HOUSE (3rd Sunday of every month)
JEREMIAH’S INN (3rd Thursday of every month – this sign-up sheet located at St. Philip)
VISITATION HOUSE (2nd Wednesday of every month)
MARKET SUNDAY (food collected weekly, sorted the 1st Sunday of the month at St. Mary)
COMMUNITY HARVEST PROJECT (during their planting, growing, and harvesting season)
INTERFAITH HOSPITALITY NETWORK (IHN) (one week annually, during March)
WHEN WE MEET: The Soup Kitchen members meet the third Monday of the month at 7pm in the Conference Room in St. Mary's Parish Office. Members can also dial in if you cannot attend in person. We have a clear agend and try to keep the meeting limited to 1 hour.
HOW YOU CAN HELP (you will have a positive impact!): You are welcomed and encouraged to contact us and attend a meeting to learn about the ministry and how you can become an integral steward for one or more of the projects we serve. There is also a lot of information contained in these web pages. With your additional help, imagine the possibilities!
Please know that your contributions to this ministry need not be time consuming or require great sacrifice. As little as one hour a month can impact the fight against homelessness and hunger.
HOW DO YOU GET STARTED? Start by saying “YES”! To help this ministry to continue to thrive, new ideas are needed as well as strong enthusiasm and a desire to serve the homeless and the hungry in our community. Now more than ever we need YOU to step forward and participate in order for the St. Mary / St. Philip Soup Kitchen to fulfill its mission!
To get in touch with us:
Phone: 508-839-3993 x 32
E-mail: [email protected]
Or speak with a member of the Soup Kitchen Ministry after one of the St. Mary’s Masses, at the sign-up table in the Gathering Space.
Also check out our Ministry Brochure.