Community Soup Kitchen has served over 2 million meals since we began operation in 1977. In 2025, we served 245,915 meals across five New Haven neighborhoods — a 153% increase over the prior year. This historic growth was driven by our three-year “Closing the Meal Gap” strategic plan, which expanded CSK from a single downtown location to a network of neighborhood-based meal programs in Newhallville, The Hill, Fair Haven, and Dixwell.
Food insecurity is a humanitarian problem, increasing in scale, which disproportionately affects neighborhoods in the city of New Haven. Eleven neighborhoods face poverty rates over 25%, impacting more than 16,000 food-insecure residents, and existing resources leave a 2.5 million meal gap annually. CSK has built a service and meal delivery model over nearly fifty years that is now expanding to materially reduce that gap, while connecting guests to resources that can help address the root causes of food insecurity.
In addition to providing nutritious meals in welcoming environments across the city, we offer access to clothing, public showers, healthcare screenings, and essential social services. We operate with a dedicated team of paid employees and rely heavily on our volunteers — over 600 registered and growing — who logged more than 16,000 hours in 2025.
Fiscal Year 2025 Impact
245,915 Meals Served
Across five New Haven neighborhoods and multiple community partnerships
5 Neighborhoods Served
Downtown, Newhallville, The Hill, Fair Haven, and Dixwell
16,312 Volunteer Hours
Across 600+ registered volunteers
1100+ Winter Jackets Distributed
Plus 2,200+ pieces of clothing through our partnership with Midnight Run
650+ Families Served Weekly
Through food pantry operations at 75 Hamilton Street
211 Private Showers Provided
Through New Haven’s only year-round independent public shower program
8,260 CHIPP Meals Served
Feeding 100 food-insecure children per week through our Childhood Hunger Initiative, a 44% increase over 2024.