Red Door Café

Every Sunday, the St. John's Red Door Café provides a free, hot, and nourishing meal to between 75 and 120 hungry guests. The program evolved over more than 25 years, beginning when the community was in serious economic distress after the closing of the steel mills.

A parishioner had attended a conference at St. Bartholomew's in New York City and observed their soup kitchen program; he returned convinced something similar should happen here. At first, parishioners prepared and served the meal each Sunday for up to 200 clients; but over the years, suburban churches began to ask if they could help on Sundays. Our urban location and accessibility to those on foot continue to keep this program busy. Today, many local organizations and faith communities help in this effort. St. John's parishioners and the Youth Group are still responsible for 15 Sundays of the year.

After returning from the 2006 City of God Conference in Washington, DC, a group from St. John’s suggested several ideas to improve the soup kitchen. Our name changed to the Red Door Café—a more inviting title!—and we opened up the entire auditorium to increase capacity. We added red-checkered tablecloths, began passing out desserts on open carts, and offered coffee refills at each table. Now, a parishioner even plays the piano during lunch; and our needy brothers and sisters enter a warmer and more hospitable atmosphere.

Funding for the program comes from several sources: an endowment fund with income designated for the soup kitchen, an annual FEMA grant, and individual donations. Participating groups sometimes bring all or part of the meal but are not required to do so.
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