This month, we’re proud to introduce the award-winning food charity HOPING York Street Kitchen (HOPING), which serves home-cooked, two-course meals to homeless people, and anyone else who may be in need of food, company or support.
First established in 2016 as a grassroots organisation of volunteers, HOPING first operated from King’s Square in the city centre, before making the move to the picturesque garden of King’s Manor in 2021, becoming a registered charity in 2023. Initially serving meals to around 30 diners each week, HOPING now provides comforting and nourishing meals for more than 100 local people (that’s around 300 two-course meals!) from its pop-up restaurant, every week, all year round, whatever the weather. Diners in need of a feed can choose from 13 main dishes, a fresh omelette option, and a selection of around 10 desserts each week, which are lovingly prepared by the HOPING team’s 40+ volunteer home cooks, all of whom have been inspected by City of York Council and awarded 5-star food hygiene ratings. As well as a two-course meal, diners also have the option to take extra meals home, to be refrigerated or frozen as necessary for the future – for those who may not be able to access or attend the weekend pop-up kitchen at King’s Manor, HOPING also distributes groceries to households in need across York, each and every week.
In recent years, HOPING’s delivery of services has widened significantly, and the charity now offers local people in need far more than just a nourishing scran. As well as providing toiletries, thermal essentials, pet food, support, and a tangible sense of community, it also offers signposting and advocacy for important homelessness and poverty-related issues including tenancy and medical care. It also offers education and entertainment through reading via fortnightly Bookcase For All visits, provides support for newly arrived refugees in need, and, with the help of Cycle Heaven, helps people struggling with transport to access serviced, second-hand bikes!
Last year, the charity was selected as a Finalist in the Best Street Food, Take-Away or Small Eatery category at the BBC Food & Farming Awards, and was also declared the Runner-up for the Best Community Project award at York Press Community Pride Awards, a gong it previously won in 2022. This volunteer-driven charity is currently home to a team of around 50 people, who share duties including cooking, serving, and organising the kitchen. If you’d like to get involved as a HOPING volunteer, keep your eyes peeled for the next recruitment drive or get in touch today!
HOPING York Street Kitchen serves food every Sunday from 2.30pm-4.00pm at King’s Manor, Exhibition Square, YO1 7EP. To get in touch with the Hoping York Street Kitchen team or register your interest as a volunteer, follow @HopingYork on Facebook, X and Instagram, or email hopingyorkstk@gmail.com today. Visit www.justgiving.com/charity/hopingyorkstk if you’d like to donate.
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