DESK History

1987-1991

In 1987, DESK began serving evening meals three nights per week, one night at each of the three churches on the New Haven Green: Trinity, the First Church of Christ (Center Church), and The United Church. A few months after opening, a fourth night of service was added at the nearby Young Israel House (Yale’s Kosher Kitchen). DESK added a fifth night in 1989 at the First and Summerfield United Methodist Church bordering on the New Haven Green. Yale students began volunteering at DESK in 1990.

1992-2004

Finally, in 1992, DESK adopted the Saturday Evening Soup Kitchen, now hosted by St. Paul’s/St. James’ Episcopal Church, which inaugurated over ten years of nightly meal service. With the help of Yale students, Hillel, Young Israel, and local synagogues, the Sunday Kosher Kitchen moved into the new Slifka Center for Jewish Life on Wall Street in 1995. In 2004, DESK added the weekly food pantry and daily bag lunch services to provide for the needy among schoolchildren, families, and working individuals.

2005-Present

In the spring of 2005, DESK faced decreasing financial and human resources and closed the Saturday meal indefinitely. The Friday-evening meal is now coordinated by Yale Hunger Heroes (joint initiative by DESK and Yale undergraduates), serving guests whenever Yale is in session.

In 2007, DESK renovated its central kitchen with the financial assistance of Connecticut State Bond, Livable Cities Initiative, City of New Haven, and private individuals. DESK now has an impressive commercial kitchen to meet the increasing need for its services.

In September 2007, DESK centralized all its food service operations to 311 Temple Street. The move enabled DESK to offer fresher and more varied choices, to provide a more spacious dinning environment to accommodate our guests, and to make better use of our growing volunteer base.

DESK presently provides services five days a week, Sunday through Thursday. The Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen’s staff consists of an Executive Director, Director of Operations, Assistant Operations/Evening Coordinator, and part-time Operations/Administrative Assistant. DESK has a very active Board of Directors that reflects the variety of our Greater New Haven area community. Our volunteer and donor base is also active and consists of every segment within our community, from court-appointed community service programs to groups and individuals.