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Founded in 1833 in Paris, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) was created as an extension of the Catholic Church to serve impoverish residents living in the slums.  In 1945, the Society came to the United States and quickly grew to feed the homeless and hungry.

 

 A Community of Faiths Come Together To Serve

 

In 1982, the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen of Upper Pinellas County was formed.  Initially, a small group of dedicated volunteers gave food to the homeless behind the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store on North Fort Harrison Street in Clearwater. This effort expanded into a facility located in the Knights of Columbus building. It grew to Trinity Presbyterian Church in downtown Clearwater with Calvary Baptist Church providing bus transportation.

 

Fast forward, the Soup Kitchen moved in 1990 to its permanent facility on Park Avenue. In 2016, the Soup Kitchen made a name change to the St. Vincent de Paul Community Kitchen and Resource Center. This new name reflects our efforts to expand our services beyond the food to help create a path of self-sufficiency and self-support: a way "home" off the streets.

 

Every day of the year, some 150 people come to our Community Kitchen for a hearty meal, a place of solace, protection from the elements and a warm welcome from volunteers.  Along with their "daily bread," we give our poor neighbors and those living on our streets the dignity, kindness and encouragement we all deserve. . . .

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And most times, we get so much more than we give!