Lunch. A Wayside staff member supervises each lunch throughout the city of Portland. Individuals sign up to volunteer through the Wayside office. ‘Regulars’ help week in and week out. In 2007, Wayside served 42,359 lunches with 8-12 volunteers helping at each meal. Times and meal sites vary from day-to-day.
Evening Meal. Participating groups (alone or in conjunction with other groups) are responsible for preparing and serving a complete evening meal. Groups come from area churches, synagogues, civic groups and businesses and operate under a consistent set of rules. In many cases they are autonomous, with volunteer coordinators making sure to have enough people on hand to cook, serve, and clean up after meals. Many nights welcome the addition of volunteers who sign up through the Wayside office. Groups typically provide a $35 monthly donation to the program. Wayside staff is on hand for support and to facilitate guest relations. Dinner is a hot, nutritious meal. The hours & locations vary. Wayside has never missed a scheduled meal in its history. In 2007, Wayside served 80,779 dinners. The average cost per meal was $1.64, including administrative costs. Who Are Our Guests? Approximately half of the people eating meals at Wayside are the working poor. They live from paycheck to paycheck. With rising fuel and food costs, stretching that paycheck to last a full week is challenging. Wayside provides a way to eat and pay bills. The other half of Wayside’s consumers are aging adults, children, struggling familes and differently abled individuals. Wayside Soup Kitchen |
