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We completed building our new home on December 27, 2012 with the help of a construction loan, which we would like to pay off and eliminate monthly mortgage expenses. We also have ongoing operational expenses (such as heat, water, sewer, and very limited salaries). Thank you for your help!
If you prefer to make your donation by check, please make it out to The Friendly Kitchen and mail to:
The Friendly Kitchen
PO Box 373, Concord, NH 03302Thank you!
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Quick Facts About Our Operation
- Volunteers donated more than 10,000 hours preparing and serving meals in 2011.
- 50 volunteer groups rotate preparing and serving the meals.- 96% of our annual operating budget comes from community donations.
- We fulfill our mission on the small annual operating budget of $167,000.
- We receive about $140,000 in donated food each year.
- We employ a staff of six: one full-time manager, and five part-time employees.
- Food comes from individuals, local grocery stores, restaurants, and organizations.
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Our Volunteers and Collaborators
The Friendly Kitchen could not exist without the involvement of volunteers and collaborators from the greater Concord NH community.
The Friendly Kitchen is run by 50 volunteer groups from churches, service and civic organizations, and local businesses who plan the menus, prepare, cook and serve the food, and wash the dishes.
Most food served is donated from individuals, local grocery stores, restaurants, and organizations such as the Boy Scouts and the Postal Letter Carriers, who hold food drives on behalf of The Friendly Kitchen.
We also receive donations from the NH Food Bank, the Capital Regional Food Program, and the Community Action Program.
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Eating Isn’t a Privilege – It’s a Human Right
The Friendly Kitchen has one purpose — to feed the hungry. We are the only soup kitchen in the Concord, New Hampshire area. Anyone who comes to our door is welcome – without question or qualification. Since the Friendly Kitchen first began in 1980, it has served over 600,000 meals and has seen a steady increase in guests from year to year.
Now Serving in Our New Home!
Beginning with the dinner meal on December 27, 2012, we are now serving from our new home on 2 Commercial Street in Concord. Hope Butterworth’s serving group from St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Dunbarton prepared this first meal, with the help of Kurt Ellison, and made it a special occasion with a menu of roast beef, roasted potatoes, green beans, yorkshire pudding, salad, and a dessert of peppermint stick ice cream with chocolate sauce. In spite of the first winter nor’easter, approximately 95 guests enjoyed this delicious dinner at our new home!The Capital Campaign for our New Building
The newly rebuilt Friendly Kitchen, at 2 South Commercial Street in Concord, was completed on time and $100,000 under budget, but to be mortgage-free, we still need to raise $250,000. Please consider making a donation or purchasing tax credits to help us achieve this goal!
On Saturday morning, April 30, 2011, a fire at Hope House, 14 Montgomery Street in Concord, caused considerable damage to the Friendly Kitchen. We first hoped we could rebuild on Montgomery Street, but circumstances forced us to seek a new home. In Spring 2012 we received approval from the City of Concord to construct a new building on South Commercial Street, just off Interstate 393, in Concord.
The new building is about 5,800 SF and can feed 120 people. It provides both indoor and outdoor seating and is completely accessible for people with disabilities. The one-floor building features an up-to-date commercial kitchen, making it easier for volunteers to prepare meals and clean up afterward. It also has an ample storage area for donated foods. It also offers onsite parking in a well-lit landscaped area.
We broke ground on July 12, 2012 and served our first meal in the new building on December 27, 2012! Our Capital Campaign to rebuild, Rising From the Ashes, was launched in August. Your support of The Friendly Kitchen’s campaign to rebuild gives you the opportunity for named sponsorships and recognition on the dining room wall.
This is an opportunity to show the guests that you support them and wish them well. The hundreds of volunteers will notice, too, and appreciate your commitment. The Lincoln Financial Foundation has contributed $100,000 and will name the Dining Room to honor its employees who are volunteers.
Click here for a complete list of named sponsorship opportunities, or click the Donate Now button below to help our campaign to rebuild.
Our December 13th Open House
Click here to watch a slideshow of images from our Open House on December 13th and to read a Concord Monitor article about it. We had a great turnout — thanks to everyone who came!Become a Friend of the Friendly Kitchen
The Friendly Kitchen is run by volunteers who plan the menus, prepare, cook and serve the food, and wash the dishes. Most food served is donated through food drives, area businesses, the NH Food Bank, the Capital Regional Food Program, the Community Action Program, the Local Harvest CSA, and from the volunteer serving groups.
Our commitment to the hungry and homeless is unwavering, but the support of friends is critical. Won’t you please help us help those in need? It is only with your assistance that our doors will continue to remain open. Please use the Donate Now button above to make a contribution.
With continued and increased support from Greater Concord and beyond, the Friendly Kitchen will remain open well into the future.
Thank you all for asking so often what you can do to help -- this community does...
Thank you all for asking so often what you can do to help -- this community does so much for us! Today, we have a request: We are in need of canned vegetables and would be grateful for any donations! Thank you for anything you can give.This April alone, we served 1329 individual lunches; 2281 individual dinners; an...
This April alone, we served 1329 individual lunches; 2281 individual dinners; and 382 individuals breakfast on the weekends.
Thank You Lincoln Financial Foundation
On October 6th, the Friendly Kitchen had the pleasure of announcing a $100,000 donation from the Lincoln Financial Foundation to help us rebuild in a new, permanent location. We are so grateful for the gift, the largest donation in our history. Click here to read the Concord Monitor article about Lincoln Financial Foundation's donation.