In Champaign County, 222 people were homeless as of Jan. 28, according to the Champaign County Continuum of Care. There are kitchens and shelters throughout the community that help the homeless population, including the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, which is in the process of moving its location to downtown Champaign.

The nonprofit, volunteer-run organization is moving from the New Covenant Fellowship at 124 W. White St. to its own location on 118 N. First St. The new location is the former Emerald City Lounge building.

The transition will take eight months to complete and will cost about $400,000, which is entirely funded by private donations, said Ellen McDowell, president emeritus of the Daily Bread.

The Daily Bread has five crews that volunteer their time from Monday to Friday. Jeff Carns, Daily Bread weekend crew chief, has volunteered at the organization since it opened in 2009. He said the move is good for the Daily Bread. “We are just two blocks away from the main terminal, so wherever they are in Champaign-Urbana, people can get on a bus and get to us easily,” Carns said.

The Daily Bread currently rents the lobby of New Covenant Fellowship where it serves lunch five days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for 200 to 300 community members, according to McDowell. The organization would like to offer lunch throughout the week, but the church needs the space on the weekend, which is one of the reasons it is moving, she said.

“… Although the church has been very good and we have gotten along well with the church, we want to have our own autonomy; we want to make our own decisions. That’s difficult when you are renting from someone,” McDowell said.

McDowell added the cost of renting the space, among other expenses, is another reason the organization is moving.

During reconstruction, the Daily Bread will continue to offer service at its current location. The food served at the Daily Bread is either bought at a food bank or donated by sororities, fraternities and other organizations that meet Public Health standards, said McDowell. Along with donating food, many students at the University also volunteer with other community members at the soup kitchen. “The students are excellent volunteers, and that’s one of the reasons that we want to serve on Saturday and Sunday because that’s when they can come,” she said. 

The Daily Bread also helps homeless individuals by paying for state IDs and birth certificates, and offering free bus passes twice a year in the spring and fall. Last week, over 95 people registered for bus passes, said McDowell. 

Some members of the community expressed concern over the move at the Champaign City Council meeting last week. They said there are people outside of the kitchen that urinate and drink during the day, which they believe will be bad for business. 

McDowell said she understands how these community members feel and she plans on cooperating on finding a solution.

“We will do everything we can to make sure the soup kitchen does not interfere with their business,” she said.

McDowell said merchants do not need to worry because the soup kitchen will only operate for two hours a day and then the people must leave. 

“They will find out we are good neighbors,” McDowell said.

Carns added there are troubles in any group of people, not just with the homeless.

“Among our population, of course, there is even a little bit higher probability because people that live on the street are poor, often times they may have mental problems, they may have health problems, substance abuse problems, things that make it harder for them to be good citizens, act properly,” he said.

Carnes said those who act poorly may not be allowed back to the soup kitchen for a certain period of time. However, Carnes said most people are nice and respectful of the rules.

Junnie Kieu, freshman in the College of Business and future resident on First Street, said she thinks soup kitchens make the community a better place, but she does have some concerns.

“I like their efforts to help the community, but I’m still concerned about the safety of myself and other students. But the pros do outweigh the cons,” Kieu said.

The Daily Bread is open to anyone who is hungry or who is looking for a place to feel welcome, Carns said. 

“It’s important that we reach out to our brothers and sisters. It’s a satisfying feeling that you know you are helping people over the years,” he said.

Liyuan can be reached at [email protected].