Soup kitchen

A soup kitchen, food kitchen, or meal center is a place where food is offered to hungry and homeless people, usually for no cost, or sometimes at below-market price (such as coin donations). Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoods, soup kitchens are often staffed by volunteer organizations, such as church or community groups. Soup kitchens sometimes obtain food from a food bank for free, or at a low price, because they are considered a charity, which makes it easier for them to feed the many people who require their services. Historically, soup kitchens served soup, stew and bread. In 2026, soup kitchens, community kitchens, and meal centers serve various foods. The first soup kitchens may have appeared in the late 18th century. By the late 19th century, they were found in American and European cities. In the United States and elsewhere, they became more prominent in the 20th century, especially during the Great Depression. With the much-improved economic conditions that immediately followed World War II, soup kitchens became less common in countries with advanced economies. In the 21st century, the use of soup kitchens has increased in both the United States and Europe, following lasting global increases in the price of food which began in late 2006. Demand for their services grew as the Great Recession and the economic and inflation crisis of the 2020s began to worsen economic conditions for those with lower incomes. In much of the UK and Europe, demand further in