St. Leo’s soup kitchen closed in August of 2021 due to the heavy rains that flooded the kitchen with 4 feet of water. It took some time for the board to find another location but I am please to report that the kitchen is functioning again in the Center for the works of Mercy building 8642 Woodward in Detroit.
Parishioner donations collected since that date were used to relocate the facility, install kitchen equipment and meet City of Detroit codes in the new location. The soup kitchen opened in November 2022 and is serving hot lunches on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with the intention of expanding to 5 days a week. Volunteers are welcome. Other services formerly located in the old building such as the Malta medical and dental clinics have also relocated to the new building. These services are not part of the soup kitchen effort but I felt it was important that you know they are still being offered. The Center for the Works of Mercy has many of the services that were provided in the old location and much more. I encourage you to go on their website Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan (ccsem.org) to see the full complement of what is offered in the building.
It is anticipated that the Saturday soup kitchen will begin again sometime in the 1st quarter of 2023 once all the previous organizations (like OLV) have been contacted and the details are worked out. The new facility will seat between 30 and 35 guests. Please watch the bulletin for future updates.
For more than 30 years, OLV has demonstrated its commitment to serve the patrons of St. Leo's Soup Kitchen in Detroit. Five times a year, members of the OLV St. Leo's team plan, purchase and prepare a delicious meal at the soup kitchen for 125 to 150 people.