History of Sophia’s Offerings from Angels Kitchen

Many years ago, a hungry man asked a kind friar for something to eat. That simple act of kindness has turned into the largest Catholic soup kitchen in the Peoria Diocese. The Sandwich Program served from Sacred Heart Church for many years.

In the Summer of 2005, Little Sophia tragically died at the age of three years old. To help ease their grief, her parents directed their attention towards making sure others have enough to eat by hosting fundraisers and donating generously to this mission. Their generosity allowed the program to be moved in 2010 to its current, handicapped accessible location next to St. Joseph Church. A painting of Sophia graces our entrance. Her impish smile reminds us to take delight in each moment as we find joy in each other.

Now known as Sophia’s Kitchen, over 150 volunteers come together each week to create sack lunches for our guests to take with them, or they can pause to eat in our comfortable dining room. Grade school and high school students come to help serve, learning basic cooking and sanitation skills as they grow in compassion. A pet food pantry began as we realized that many of our guests were giving their lunches to their pets instead of eating themselves. Recognizing the intrinsic value of all of God’s creatures, we now offer pet food once a week. Generous donations have also allowed us to offer a food pantry once a week, so guests can take home a bag of groceries for their families to eat on the weekends.

A simple act of kindness many years ago has grown to well over 1 million sandwiches served. With God’s grace, Sophia’s Kitchen will continue to ease the hungry of Peoria and nourish those in need.