Interfaith Action needs help at our Monday soup kitchen!

We have 12 open spaces in 2024 at the lunch soup kitchen at Second Baptist Church, at 1717 Benson.  We are very flexible as to how the meals are provided, so we are open to discuss any sort of hybrid of these options that might work for you or your group!

Sponsor could order meals (entree, primarily) from a restaurant or caterer of their choice and have it delivered to Second Baptist, where we will package in appropriate containers and bags with additional items (if applicable.)

Sponsor could prepare meals in their organization’s facilities and bring to Second Baptist (we could pick up, too, if it makes more sense,) where we will package appropriately. Food can be heated up in the Second Baptist kitchen, but we’d like to keep the on-site prep to a minimum.

Sponsor could make a monetary donation to IAE to cover ingredients and or coordinator will prepare a meal.

If you would like to send volunteers, we welcome that as well!

For 2023 we averaged about 100 meals each day.  The cost of ingredients (including packaging) to prepare the meal is about $350.

The open dates are:

2/5/24

3/4/24

4/1/24

4/29/24

6/3/24

7/1/24

7/29/24

8/5/24

9/30/24

11/4/24

12/2/24

12/30/24

If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Sue at  ia@interfaithactionofevanston.org

Thank you!

Interfaith Action of Evanston (IAE) operates an emergency overnight shelter each winter. This year, UCE will be hosting the shelter from January 15 – February 4, 2023. You may volunteer to help in the shelter at UCE or any of the other nine sites.

IAE has new volunteer trainings on 10/17/22 at 7:00pm via Zoom and on 10/25/22 in-person at 7:00pm at St. Paul’s Lutheran, Church, 1004 Greenwood. UCE’s very own Shawn Iles will be providing the part of the trainings. For more information please contact Sue Murphy with IAE at ia@interfaithactionofevanston.org or Shawn Iles via REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org.

Here is the list of the 2022-2023 Interfaith Action of Evanston’s Emergency Overnight Shelter dates and locations:

October 23 – November 12 – St. Paul’s Lutheran – 1004 Greenwood

November 13 – December 3 – St. Luke’s Episcopal – 939 Hinman

December 4 – December 24 – Beth Emet – 1224 Dempster

December 25 – January 14 – First United Methodist – 516 Church

January 15 – February 4 – Unitarian Church of Evanston – 1330 Ridge

February 5 – February 25 – Lake Street Church – 607 Lake

February 26 – March 18 – First Presbyterian – 1427 Chicago

March 19 – April 8 – First Congregational – 1425 Hinman

April 9 – April 29 – Immanuel Lutheran – 616 Lake

April 30 – May 20 – St. Paul’s – 1004 Greenwood

Interfaith Action of Evanston operates a monthly Produce Mobile, year-round, providing free groceries and toiletries to around 250 families.  

For the September 14th Produce Mobile, they are in need of the following items:   

• Fingernail clippers 
• Bar Soap (preference is Dove) 
• Shaving cream 
• Disposable razors 
• All-purpose cleaner 

Please limit your generosity to the items requested. 

In addition to providing groceries, the Produce Mobile tries to fill in the SNAPGap for families by requesting donations of specific items to also be distributed to families through the Produce Mobile. SNAP is the government program that helps provide people living under the poverty line with groceries. SNAP does not help with essential toiletries, so there is a GAP in needs. 

Here is the information if you would like to help:   

DROP-OFF LOCATIONs & DATES

• Trinity Lutheran Church, 3637 Golf Road (East of Crawford); Saturdays, September 4 and 11, from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm.
• UCE congregants may drop-off items in the UCE Giving House on Sunday, September 12 ONLY, during our 10:15 am worship service. Please do not drop off anything except the items requested.

ITEMS NEEDED – Please limit your generosity to the items requested.   

• Fingernail clippers 
• Bar Soap (preference is Dove) 
• Shaving cream 
• Disposable razors 
• All-purpose cleaner 

You may buy one kind of product or mix and match.  They are grateful for donations both small and large.

ONLINE ORDERING

You may order online or buy from your favorite store – their brands, or your favorites. If you order online, you may have the items shipped directly to:

Thank you for your generous responses to our pandemic-time projects to help alleviate the suffering of our neighbors.

Toni Rey and Betty Walker, Food and Shelter Team

June 19, 26, and July 3 are the Drop Off Days for much needed  Toothpaste, Dishwashing liquid, and Sponges 

Interfaith Action of Evanston operates a monthly Produce Mobile, year-round, providing free groceries and toiletries to around 250 families.  

For the July 13th Produce Mobile, they are in need of the following items:   

• Toothpaste 
• Dishwashing liquid 
• Sponges 

Please limit your generosity to the items requested. 

In addition to providing groceries, the Produce Mobile tries to fill in the SNAPGap for families by requesting donations of specific items to also be distributed to families through the Produce Mobile. SNAP is the government program that helps provide people living under the poverty line with groceries. SNAP does not help with essential toiletries, so there is a GAP in needs. 

Here is the information if you would like to help:   

DROP-OFF LOCATION 

• Sherman United Methodist Church, 2214 Ridge Avenue. The drop-off point is on the Noyes street side of the church. 

DROP-OFF DATES 

• Saturdays, June 19, 26, and July 3 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm 

ITEMS NEEDED – Please limit your generosity to the items requested.   

• Toothpaste 
• Dishwashing liquid 
• Sponges 

Sue Murphy, our friend at Interfaith Action, says you can buy one kind of product or mix and match.  They are grateful for donations both small and large. You can order online or buy from your favorite store – their brands, or your favorites. If you order online, you may have the items shipped directly to: 

Interfaith Action of Evanston
c/o Mildred Carter 
9030 Ewing Ave.
Evanston, IL 60603 

Thank you for your generous responses to our pandemic-time projects to help alleviate the suffering of our neighbors. 

Toni Rey, Food and Shelter Team

SNAP is the government program that helps provide people living under the poverty line with groceries.  SNAP does not help with essential toiletries, so there is a GAP in needs.  

Interfaith Action of Evanston operates a monthly Produce Mobile, year-round, providing free groceries.  To fill the SNAPGap, they are requesting donations of specific items to be distributed to 250 families through the Produce Mobile.  

We did not have a Soup Kitchen obligation this year due to the timing of Beth Emet’s Passover holidays. (We normally fill in for them during their holidays).  So, there may be UCE folks looking for a similar service opportunity in Evanston.  This one can be done entirely contact-free.  

Here is the information if you would like to help:  

DROP-OFF LOCATION

• 1st United Methodist Church of Evanston – 516 Church St.

DROP-OFF DATES

• Saturdays April 3 and 9 – 10:30am to 1:30pm 
• Sundays April 4 and 10 – Noon to 2pm

ITEMS NEEDED – Please limit your generosity to the items requested.  

• Family size (not travel size) SHAMPOO, BODY WASH, DISINFECTANT WIPES 
• If you want to order from Amazon, there is an online wish list available here. 

The wish list includes  22oz. Pantene ProV Daily Moisturizing Shampoo, 22 oz., Dove Body Wash, and Lysol disinfectant Wipes, 80 count.

Sue Murphy, our friend at Interfaith Action, says you can buy one kind of product or mix and match.  They are grateful for donations both small and large. You can order online or buy from your favorite store – their brands, or your favorites.  

Thank you to all UCERs for your generous responses to our pandemic-time projects to help alleviate the suffering of our neighbors.  

Food and Shelter Team

Co-chairs Maggie Weiss and Sheila Holder

A huge ‘Thank You” is in order to the many UCE members and friends who donated warm clothing of all kinds for clients of Connections for the Homeless. 

We collected, sorted and delivered new underwear and socks (164 pairs of socks!); 40 coats and jackets (many of them new); 43 hats; 20 scarves and 20 pairs of gloves; 10 pairs of boots and shoes; 30 sweaters, hoodies and sweatshirts; over 50 long sleeved shirts; 3 backpacks and 7 pairs of long pants. In addition, there were several miscellaneous items and everything was either new or clean and ready-to-wear. 

The deliveries were greeted with smiles and much appreciation for our efforts. Well done! 

We have found that the need is always there – clothing can get lost, or stolen, or simply wear out. Also, new people move into situations where they need help with basic clothing. 

Results like this take a team – Thank you to our many donors, to our Sexton Liz for arranging a drop-off and sort and pack location, and to organizers Carol Nielsen, Maggie Weiss, Marilyn Wroblewski and Sheila Holder.