St. Francis Soup Kitchen

St. Francis Soup Kitchen is a volunteer operated facility located at the Providence Center, 134 E. Church Street in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. As it has for over 30 years, each Saturday the St. Francis Soup Kitchen's volunteers serve hundreds of the community's less fortunate, poor, homeless, and anyone in need of nourishment. Everything is done to acknowledge the dignity of the poor, to respect them and serve them hospitably. Soup Kitchen Breakfast: At 7:00 am Saturday a small breakfast is served to dozens of people, many of whom have spent the night outside our facility. Soup Kitchen Lunch: Starting at 10:00 am guests are invited into our dining room for lunch where they are seated and served by our volunteers. A typical meal includes a salad, side item, main course, dessert and coffee. We also hand out over hundreds of loaves of bread, rolls, bagels and a variety of other baked goods. When available, we give away reading glasses and used paperback books. Clothes Closet: On the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month beginning at 7:00 am fifty men's and fifteen women's clothes closet tickets are distributed to guests. From 8:00 am to 9:45 am tickets are presented to clothes closet volunteers and guests are given miscellaneous items and a change of clothing for the week. Canned goods give-away: Each Saturday starting at 10:00 am we are able to provide more than 100 bags of canned goods filled with a dozen cans or so in each bag, on a first come, first serve basis to those people who request them. The canned goods are provided through a U.S.D.A./T.F.A.P. Commodities Food program managed by The Second Harvest Food Bank. Volunteers from the St. Francis Soup Kitchen coordinate the canned goods pick up, and redistribution. We have our guests complete the paperwork necessary for them to obtain the food.