Loyola University Chicago

Community Service & Action

Division of Mission Integration

Soup Kitchen

Photo

Photo Credit: Hanako Maki

What to know before volunteering at the Soup Kitchen:

Every Tuesday and Friday, starting the second week of the semester, a group of Loyola students volunteer at the St. Thomas of Canterbury Soup Kitchen to prepare and serve a meal. We meet Tuesdays and Fridays in Damen 232 at 3:30pm, we then travle to the St. Thomas of Canterbury soup kitchen in Uptown and we get back to campus around 7:30pm. We do not send volunteers on days that classes are not in session.

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU COME:

  • To travel to this service opportunity we will be using public transit, so please bring your U-Pass or be prepared to pay. 
  • Please be sure you are within the dress code per St. Thomas of Canterbury's request for food safety and appropriate kitchen attire: Loose, baggy clothing all around! Wear pants (no shorts, skirts, leggings or tight pants), wear a shirt with a high neckline (no tank tops, crop tops, or low cut shirts), wear closed-toed shoes and generally, clothes you don’t mind getting a little messy. A hat or a hair net will be given to you on site. Volunteers who go to the soup kitchen with improper clothing may be given additional clothing on site or asked to come back another day.
  • If you are under 18 you are still welcome to come to the Soup Kitchen with us! You will need to have a waiver completed by your parent/guardian before you will be able to come (SK Waiver Fall 23). If you have any questions about this please contact us at serve@luc.edu.
  • You might want to bring a small snack! The volunteers prepare a meal for the guests that we do not eat. So know that there is no plan to feed volunteers between 3:30-7:30. If you think you might need an energy boost, bring a small snack for yourself.

If you are looking to use the Soup Kitchen to fulfill any kind of required service hours, you must first contact CSA at serve@luc.edu and meet with the CSA Coordinator before beginning your service hours. Volunteers must obtain the signature of the CSA Coordinator BEFORE fulfilling service hours at the soup kitchen. Soup Kitchen is not a reliable option to fulfill service hours since you will not be guaranteed a spot every week. Please read the full policy here

Want to learn more about Food Insecurity? Check out the Greater Chicago Food Depository's informational website