Lunch Program
Served daily Monday to Saturday from Noon to 1:00 PM at 681 Brown St. Rochester, NY.
Our first and largest program, St. Peter’s Kitchen, has been serving hot meals to our neighbors since 1982. Starting as a soup-and-sandwich program on Saturdays, we now serve hundreds of balanced, nutritious, and delicious meals daily. Our lunches always include a protein-rich main dish, a vegetable side or salad, a carb side like pasta or rice, fruit, beverage, and dessert, with the flexibility to accommodate dietary restrictions and religious limitations. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have plated the lunches into to-go containers, making it possible for individuals to bring meals home to their families, as well.
Come for Lunch
If you’d like to have lunch with us, come to our door – which is gray, facing the parking lot behind the building, and under a large sign – anytime between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday. You’re welcome to come downstairs and go through our lunch line, where volunteers are distributing pre-packaged meals, desserts, and drinks. You can have your lunch in our dining room or take your meal to-go. If you regularly visit us for lunch asking for meals for your family, we ask that you bring some kind of identification for the people you’re supporting, and other than that, all are welcome, no questions asked.
Volunteering
If you’d like to help our lunch program, there are many ways to show your support. Our lunch program relies on the generous help of volunteers; with usually between ten and fifteen volunteers each day working from 9:00 a.m. to just after 1:00 p.m., volunteers are preparing and cooking food for lunch and some of our outreach programs, keeping the kitchen and dining room clean, and plating and serving the meal. See our Volunteer page for more information about how to donate your time and energy in service of our lunch program.
Donating Food
In addition to donating your time, we are always taking food donations. See our Wishlist for what we’re short on right now, and see our Donate page for more information about how else you can donate to help this program.
Did You Know?
According to The Children's Agenda's Parents Poll in December 2023, 82% of households with an annual household income of less than $50,000 in Monroe County can't afford to buy fruit and vegetables weekly. 78% of those parents ration food between paychecks, 50% skip meals so their children can eat, and 58% rely on food pantries.
Your support makes an incredible difference in the struggle for equitable access to healthy food.
Source: "Family Voices, Growing Hardships, and the Impact of Financial Stress," Results of a countywide survey of more than 600 Monroe County Parents. The Children's Agenda, Rochester NY December 2023.
Our Programs
We are proud to have several successful programs that address many needs present in our community. Our diverse collection of programs means that we can support those seeking help in a variety of ways, catered to each individual’s needs.
