The Emmanuel Community Kitchen is the oldest of the  Shelter Care services. It began in 1982 as a supplement to other lunch programs that were closed on weekends. The program is administered by Emmanuel volunteers and serves over 6,000 lunches per year to those in the downtown area who need help.

Seventeen Rockford Area churches and two non-profits share the work by sending teams to prepare and serve the meals. This provides opportunities for volunteers, many from outside the downtown area, to get first-hand experience of the need in downtown Rockford and to help meet that need. Building awareness of human need and development of volunteer talent are two more important parts of Shelter Care Ministries' service to the greater Rockford Area.

The Soup Kitchen opens its doors every Saturday from 12:00 to 12:30 at the Jubilee Center.

If any organization is interested in participating, they can call Stan at 815-985-6997 or e-mail at stanton@pobox.com