The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries, Inc. is a non-profit interfaith community service that provides nourishing meals and/or groceries to people in need.  We serve those who live along the Connecticut shoreline in Chester, Clinton, Deep River, East Lyme, Essex, Killingworth, Lyme, Madison, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook. All those who attend The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries program sites will be provided with food and fellowship to the very best of our abilities.

Whether at a meal site or a grocery distribution site, all of our staff and volunteers are trained and dedicated individuals.  They are welcoming, helpful, and respectful of your privacy and of your individual circumstances. 

There are no fees charged and no eligibility rules.  No one is required to provide proof that they are in need of food.

          Are you hungry in body or spirit? Join us at one of our Meal Sites

Samuel*, 62, is alone in the world.  His wife Greta of 39 years recently died of bone cancer and they had no children.  Some nights he eats alone, some nights he doesn’t eat.  Samuel often can’t bring himself to sit at the table he shared with Greta all those years.  He loses his appetite.  He recently came to a Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries meal site and had dinner with some new friends.  Samuel enjoyed the meal and the fellowship; he hasn’t felt so alone since.

Bart*, 82, is married to the love of his life, Selma.  Selma recently had major surgery and is recuperating.  Bart and Selma have come to the Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries meal sites for several years.  They recently attended grocery distribution and left with four frozen heat-n-eat meals. Bart’s doing all the cooking and he’s never had to—these meals have ensured that they are eating well while Selma gets back to health.  

Lila*, 27, with two young children, works a full time minimum wage job at a local retailer.  She lives alone in a small apartment on a very busy street.  She owns no car and walks to work.  She is a proud woman who believes that her children will be better off than she.  Some months she has to choose between rent and heat, some months it’s between heat and food.  During the winter, her choice becomes more urgent---that’s when she turns to The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries.  Lila is able to get enough food for herself and her children so she does not need to choose.

Rose*, 43, has mental health issues.  She is a kind gentle woman who can’t always make it in the world.  She receives aid from the state and lives in subsidized housing, but sometimes, between checks, she needs help making ends meet.  Rose comes to The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries food pantries once a week for her groceries.  She is greeted with warmth and kindness.  She doesn’t feel strange, she doesn’t feel picked on—she feels safe.

We want to know what you need to get out of poverty! 

Fill out a short questionnaire, please click here.

 

*names and details have been changed for privacy