Welcome to the Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries

The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries' mission is an interfaith ministry that provides food and fellowship to people in need and educates our communities about hunger and poverty.  Founded in 1989, at the Baptist Church in Essex, Connecticut, the agency continues in its mission to feed the hungry in body and spirit.

In 2006, 480,431 meals were distributed to individuals and families during The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries programs.  This included 447,435 meals from our grocery distribution sites; 19,640 heat-n-eat meals; and 13,356 meals served at area soup kitchens.

The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries offer food and fellowship to the communities of Chester, Clinton, Deep River, East Lyme, Essex, Killingworth, Lyme, Madison, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook.

Our family oriented meal sites serving hot, nutritious and delicious food are located in Centerbrook, Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex (2), Old Lyme, and Old Saybrook.  And, our grocery distribution sites where participants receive enough food for three meals for three days are located in Clinton, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook.  Also, provided to those who have limited cooking facilities are frozen heat-n-eat meals that can be picked up at any of our pantries.

The shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries accomplishes its goals with the help of over 750 volunteers, who provided over 30,700 volunteer hours in 2006.  We provide those in need with food and with fellowship, responding to all with humanity and respect.

The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries had its origin at a “Vision Day” at The First Baptist  Church of Essex, Connecticut. To determine the need, an “experimental” soup kitchen meal was held on the Saturday before Easter, 1989, in the Fellowship Hall of the church to see if anyone would come to such an offering. Click Here to read our origins story.

Since that time, we have continued to grow. Seven meal sites and four grocery distribution sites throughout the Shoreline and Lower Connecticut River Valley are now provided by The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries. Each meal site serves one meal each week. The grocery distribution sites provide families with groceries on a weekly basis for meal preparation at home.