Wayside Evening Soup Kitchen
Williston-West staffs the Soup Kitchen on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. We take care of cooking the meal, serving it to the patrons, and cleaning up afterwards. Many people and groups in the Greater Portland work very hard to make the Kitchen possible. We are proud to be a part of that effort!
If you're interested in helping on our night, please contact our Church office.
Wayside Evening
Soup Kitchen
P.O. Box 1278
Portland, Maine 04104
Office: (207) 775-4939
Kitchen: (207) 828-1613
Williston-West's
Night at the Soup Kitchen
2nd Tuesday of the month
Information from the Soup Kitchen
The following information is taken from the Wayside Evening Soup Kitchen's brochure:
What We Are
The Wayside Evening Soup Kitchen is a non-profit, ecumenical effort. Our goal is to provide a nutritious evening meal to the homeless and poor of Greater Portland.
How We Started
In January of 1986, Karen Evans, realizing the need for an evening soup kitchen, met with a core group from some of the area churches. The group invited many area churches to share in this effort. Short on money but long on faith, eleven area churches committed to serve three meals a week. on April 14, 1986, they served the first meal at the Immanuel Baptist Church. In 1987, the Wayside Evening Soup Kitchen became a non-profit, federal tax exempt corporation.
Where We Are
In November 1993, the Wayside Evening Soup Kitchen moved from Immanuel Baptist Church and Williston-West Church to a multipurpose facility. We are located at the corner of Preble and Oxford Streets, in Portland, Maine, in the Community Resource Center (CRC). The CRC also houses the Preble Street Resource Center's breakfast program, the Portland Food Pantry, Portland Street Clinic, and other social services. In early 1994, the Wayside Evening Soup Kitchen expanded from five to seven nights per week. The soup kitchen serves meals from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, every night of the year.
How We Operate
Each of the participating groups, either by itself or in conjunction with another group, is responsible for preparing and serving one meal a month as well as some financial support. We operate under a consistent set of rules established and practiced by each of the sponsors.
We receive food donations from local businesses, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources, and the Good Shepherd Food Bank. In addition, we receive cash donations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a City of Portland Community Development Assisted Project, Cumberland County, the Emergency Shelter Grants, area businesses, and individuals. The participating groups still provide a significant portion of the total expenses of the soup kitchen.
Whom We Serve
The soup kitchen regularly serves hot meals to over 220 poor and homeless people each evening, seven nights a week. We serve close to 81,000 meals per year; over 12,000 of these are for children and teens.
How Can I Help?
If you are interested in learning more about us, volunteering your time and talents or making a donation, please call the Wayside Evening Soup Kitchen at (207) 775-4939 or contact our Church office.
