FAQs

By the grace of God, like minded Christians are coming together to do the works of Jesus at the Soup Cafe. We are a soup kitchen that is set up as a restaurant where people come in, seat themselves in one of our booths and one of our volunteers will take their order and bring them their food. Each day we offer two homemade soups, two sandwiches, salad bar, desert and beverage free of charge. Patrons can eat as much as they want as long as they don't waste food, we will make sure no one goes away hungry. We are a ministry of serving the poor and needy with dignity and respect.

We offer a free all you can eat hot meal Monday - Friday 11am to 7pm, Saturdays from 11am to 5 pm. Bible studies will be available throughout the week, prayer and an attentive ear to listen. Coming soon will offer private showers and a laundry area for the homeless to utilize, a computer area to find work and a fellowship area to relax and visit.

We have two homemade soups each day. We do not shop for groceries, instead we cook what the Lord provides for us. That means we get very creative with our recipes. Often times the biggest challenge is coming up with a name for our soups. These are the different soups we offer, some are common others are very unique. Chicken Noodle, Pumpkin, Beef Noodle, Pigs Outside the Blanket, Broccoli Cheese, Knoephela, Chili, White Chicken Chili, Creamy Tomato, Sauerkraut Sausage, Creamy Carrot, Smoke House melody, Seafood Chowder, Alligator gumbo, God's Bountiful Provision, Creamy Cauliflower, Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Tortilla, Bean and Ham, Cheeseburger, Northern Pike Delight, Lasagna soup, Pizza soup, Italian Potato, Italian Chili, Old fashioned German Sausage, Beef Stroganoff soup, Steak Fajita, Chicken Oriental, Harvest Squash, Cheesy Vegetable, Minestrone, Creamy Chicken Noodle, Chicken Wild Rice, French onion, Double Dog Chili, Cheesy Baked Potato w/ Bacon, Corn Chowder with Ham, Taco soup, New Orleans gumbo, Philly Cheese Steak, Spetzel, Pumpkin Pie soup, Mountain Man Chili, Beef Enchilada soup, Borscht, Beef Stew, and many more.

Yes, anyone can eat at the Soup Cafe. We do not discriminate by race, religion or income status. No ID or paperwork is required to eat at the Soup Cafe. We have many regular people who can afford to eat at other restaurants who choose to come to the Soup Cafe for the fellowship and homemade food. They will often leave a free will offering in the box which pays for themselves and those who cannot afford a free will offering.

The Soup Cafe is not just for the homeless population. We also serve a wide variety of people including the elderly, low income, working poor, disabled, single moms or dads with children, veterans, neighborhood after school kids, ordinary people who just want fellowship and individuals from group homes like HIT or Pride. We provide the Bismarck/Mandan area with a safe place for anyone to come for good food and fellowship.

All food at the Soup Cafe is free of charge. In order to use the showers, laundry, computers and fellowship area patrons will have to "Soup Cafe Bucks". To earn these "Soup Cafe Bucks" patrons will volunteer washing dishes, serving, cleaning etc. They can then use these Soup Cafe bucks for the extra services we offer. Our goal is to engage people and give them a sense of worth. You could say we offer a hand up instead of a hand out.

Anyone can volunteer at the Soup Cafe. We have individuals, company employee groups, boy scout, girl scout troops, church and youth groups, and community service from individuals who have gotten in trouble with the law. Anyone that wants to help and give back to the community is welcome to help. Just go to the volunteer tab to sign up.

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:14-17). Instead of just feeding people and seeing them stuck in the same rut they've been in, we desire to help meet their basic needs to enable them become whole and productive members of society. We want to help people get from where they are now to where they want to be.

We receive no government funding. Our reliance and trust is totally in our Heavenly Father. God moves on the hearts of others to provide for the needs of the Soup Café. God does this through free will donations.

Yes, the Soup Cafe is a 501c3 non-profit corporation and all donations are tax deductable.

Everything given to the Soup Café is used for the needs of others. We have very low overhead with one paid staff, the rest is all volunteer help. Money donated goes directly toward feeding and helping those less fortunate in our community. Nothing is sold; all food, clothing, blankets, Bibles, books, DVD’s are given free of charge to all who ask.

Of course we appreciate monetary gifts as they help us feed the hungry every day. The last time we purchased groceries at the store was July of 2009. Whatever the Lord provides that is what we cook with. So food donations are always helpful along with dish soap, toilet bowl cleaners, Lysol disinfectant, paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, vinyl disposable gloves, spices, meat, soup bones, coffee, creamer and many others.