ACCESS Soup Kitchen and Men's Shelter
ACCESS = Actively Caring Christians Enlisting Support Services
Established by the Coalition of Committed Christians, Inc.
Serving Central Kentucky since 1984
ACCESS Soup Kitchen was originally housed at the Church of the Ascension, 311 Washington Street in downtown Frankfort. The Church's members worked hard to help establish the Soup Kitchen and have been actively involved in its development since 1984
The purpose of ACCESS is:
To educate all citizens of Franklin County about homelessness; to help develop attitudes that will lead to positive community responses and solutions;
To personally provide at least one nutritious meal seven days weekly through a food service program for the immediate needs of low income and disadvantaged individuals and families.
To provide a temporary emergency shelter for men seven nights weekly which includes two nutritious meals.
Originally, the CCC operated a food service from Frankfort’s Church of the Ascension, in downtown Frankfort. Eventually, CCC’s leaders secured a permanent location for meals, and eventually, for temporary shelter.
ACCESS is staffed by a full-time executive director, six part-time staff, and numerous volunteers from across the county and region. In particular, the food service program is supported through volunteer workers who help with: food pickup and delivery; food preparation; serving; storage; kitchen and dining area clean-up, and; other activities as needed.
ACCESS operates a shelter program for men, at least 18 years, who are without housing. This temporary emergency shelter is made available on a night-to-night basis up to 30 nights. ACCESS is also available, no matter how long the person has stayed in the shelter, on freezing nights when the temperature is predicted to drop below 32 degrees before morning.
CCC’s direct funding sources for ACCESS include:
Donations from area churches, city and county governments and the United Way;
An annual fundraising event, the Thanksgiving Walk of Awareness, and a winter Benefit Concert at the First Christian Church;
Donations from individuals throughout the region. These small donations constitute the majority of operating funds for ACCESS; and,
Addition in-kind resources are provided by a wide variety of services and supplies from local businesses, churches, government agencies, organizations and individuals.