Philadelphia
Lunch In The Park

Each Wednesday and Second Saturday of the Month.

Training starts at 11:15am and is required for all first-time volunteers. If you plan to attend training, please sign up online or email us at volunteerphilly@christinthecity.org, and we will send you the training location and details!

Lunch starts at 12pm.
Location: Cathedral Lawn on the corner of 18th and Race Street.

Street parking is available near the Cathedral.

We very much encourage our volunteers to eat with our homeless friends at Lunch in the Park. This helps to break down barriers, as it’s more natural to share a meal with someone than to watch them eat!

Volunteers are free to leave at any time, but we do encourage volunteers to stay until the end of lunch to participate in the ending prayer. On both Wednesdays and Second Saturdays the ending prayer is at 1:00pm. Once the closing prayer is said, we kindly ask volunteers to wrap up their conversations and leave the Cathedral lawn.

We love to have families participate in our mission, and invite families with children of all ages. On 2^nd Saturdays we incorporate games (i.e. Frisbee, corn hole, and soccer), to keep younger children engaged and to create a warm atmosphere. Yet, we do require parents or legal guardians to be present and aware of their children. 

Generally, lunch in the park is a very warm and welcoming setting. However, because of the population we work with, there is always the chance that an unstable situation may arise. In the training, we go over safety protocol to prepare volunteers for any type of situation. Christ in the City has trained supervisors overseeing the event and will deal with safety situations if they are to arise.

For 1^st time volunteers, we require a training which includes information about Christ in the City’s mission, practicalities of what to do at the park (i.e. how to start a conversation), and safety protocol. We also require adult and minor liability forms to be signed once a year for all CIC volunteers. Please note that everyone in your group must individually do a liability form.

Yes, we are always looking for more food donations and parish involvement at Lunch in the Park. If your parish is interested in sponsoring a 2^nd Saturday or Wednesday Lunch, Christ in the City will give you information, materials, and any assistance needed. Email volunteerphilly@christinthecity.org with questions or ideas.