Sundaysuppers.org

There are many organizations and groups offering food to the homeless. Some provide food every day. Some, like Sunday Suppers, offer one meal a week. Some offer meals once a month. To our knowledge, Sunday Suppers is the only organization that sets up tables and chairs on the sidewalk, pushes Motown, Soul and R&B out big speakers and shares an hour and 15 minutes visiting with people at each site. As important as the food and clothing we provide are, they are secondary to the real heart of the program:

It is the mission of Sunday Suppers to share friendship with the people we serve and create relationships that last from week to week

Our one meal a week will not keep anyone alive, physically. Yet, some of the people we serve have told us that we are the best friends they have. That statement actually says very little about us. But it does say a lot about the friendships they don't have and don't experience throughout the week. It helps explain why sometimes people cry when we leave.

Together with the people we serve, we create a culture that exists only in the times and places where we serve on Sunday nights. It is a culture where hugging is normal behavior. It may sound trite, but we really believe that hugs are better than drugs. The people we serve are awash in drugs all week long, but they come early and stay late on Sunday nights. Some people tell us the hugs they get from us are the only hugs they get all week. Some people come, get their hugs and go without taking any food.