Serving Pittsburgh for Four Decades.

Since 1979, Jubilee Kitchen has been dedicated to serving the people of Pittsburgh. Our founders—Sister Liguori, Joyce Rothermel, and others—started providing hope with $9.36 and a vision. We have grown into an organization that addresses the needs of homeless, disadvantaged, and marginalized people with an array of services in a welcoming atmosphere that extends dignity and respect to every guest.

Jubilee’s mission is to improve the lives of those we serve in a safe and caring environment. Continuously adapting to accommodate the ever-changing needs, Jubilee provides a comprehensive array of services to help people move from dependence to independence, from struggling to self-sufficiency, from powerless to empowered. We collaborate with over 30 interrelated providers to coordinate services, provide complementary programs, and eliminate gaps in services.

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Jubilee is within walking distance of other needed services such as hospitals, social service organizations, religious institutions, and public transportation. Our proximity to needed services is a tremendous help to the 17,000+ people living below the poverty line in a three-mile radius of our facility. With a long history and respected reputation, we are a key pillar to helping those living in poverty, at risk of homelessness, are food insecure, and/or face other barriers.

Each year with dedicated employees and volunteers, Jubilee works with individuals, families, children and youth, seniors, as well as people facing homelessness, unemployment, addiction, and individuals with physical disabilities and mental health conditions. We provide food security, clothing, showers and personal hygiene items, homelessness prevention, job opportunities and job preparedness, childcare, and more.

We are open every day, 365 days a year.

Our Philosophy

From our beginning, we have been committed to honoring the human dignity of each guest, non-judgmentally.

Having our guests treated with respect and friendship nourishes the soul, just as our food satisfies their physical hunger. Food is a basic right that we want to provide. At the Kitchen and through our Pantry we ensure security around this basic need. This, in turn, adds to the health of our guests and food bank families. For persons living in poverty and afflicted with all of its scars, having food security and a trusting community allows them to cope much better with the other challenges of their lives.

Our History

The Jubilee Soup Kitchen was founded by Sister Liguori Rossner, Joyce Rothermel and a group of supporters on November 12, 1979. The first day of operations we served ten gallons of vegetable soup to fifteen people. Shortly after opening Jubilee extended its five-day a week operation to include Saturdays and Sundays. Ever since, Jubilee has been opened 365 days a year.

Sister Liguori became the first Executive Director of Jubilee. Her approach was to be firm but treat all guests with dignity and respect in a welcoming atmosphere. As Sister got to know our guests, she expanded the services to help meet their various needs.

Over the years Jubilee has provided a health clinic, housing vouchers, a Child Care Center with recreational activities, a reading room, showers and laundry, a clothing room, G.E.D classes, summer programs for neighborhood children, homeless students initiatives, a Job Corner, food pantries, preventing homelessness program, prison ministries and reentry programs and many other basic services needed by those living in poverty or crisis.

Some of these services have come and gone but what remains is our commitment to serve those in need.