Hunger & Homelessness

First Congregational Church believes that Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves. We put this love into action by addressing the immediate needs of those in our community. Through mission partnerships and volunteer opportunities, we strive to be the hands and feet of Christ, working to build a kin-dom where all of God’s children can thrive. Our faith community is actively involved in various programs that support the needs of the wider community, as outlined below.

Our Programs

A team of volunteers working in the church's large kitchen

Soup Kitchen and St. Benedict’s

On the fourth Sunday of each month, First Cong hosts Soup Kitchen. We serve a hot lunch prepared by volunteers and invite unhoused and hungry neighbors to sit down and enjoy a home-cooked meal. Volunteers can help prepare the meal and serve it from 9:00-11:30 a.m. or serve and help with clean-up from 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. We will train you on the spot. We also partner with St. Benedict’s Health & Healing Ministry to provide basic medical care. Signup to volunteer at Soup Kitchen.

Community Table

We partner with Bridge House, Community Table, and other Pine Street churches to provide weekday evening meals to Boulder’s unhoused community. Each Friday evening 4:30-5:30 p.m. dinner is served in Plymouth Hall. Bridge House provides set up, serving, and cleanup, Community Table provides the hot meal, and First Cong provides a host from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Signup to host Community Table.

Food Drive

Our Board of Missions and Justice in Action has a history of sponsoring five annual food drives, organized by the Men’s Breakfast. Collected items are donated to our Community Partners, the Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) and the Boulder County AIDS Project (BCAP), for distribution to those in need. For more information watch your weekly email and Sunday bulletins.

T-shirts with Ending Hunger graphics on display on a table

Crop Hunger Walk

Because no one in this world should be hungry, we participate in Boulder County’s annual October CROP Hunger Walk. We’re part of a movement, together taking steps and raising funds in support of local programs like Community Food Share and global initiatives like Church World Service and Bread for the World.

Bridge House

Bridge House, a long-time mission partner and annual recipient of our Benevolence Fund, ran its program for ten years from our Carriage House. Now a model program, it combines employment, housing, and support to break cycles of homelessness, incarceration, and chronic unemployment. Its Ready to Work program helps individuals transition to self-sufficiency, with trainees graduating to permanent jobs and housing after about a year. Ready to Work boasts a 74% success rate. For more information about Bridge House and Community Table go to the Boulder Bridge House website.