The Norwich Community Soup Kitchen will be serving free meals every Tuesday, with doors opening at 4 p.m. and meals served at 5 p.m., beginning on September 9. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

NORWICH — The Norwich Community Soup Kitchen, located in St. Bartholomew's Parish Center at 81 East Main Street in Norwich, will be reopening on Tuesday, September 9.

The Kitchen will provide a free meal to the community every Tuesday, with doors opening at 4 p.m. and meals served at 5 p.m.

"Everyone in the community is welcome to attend," said Norwich Community Soup Kitchen Spokesperson JoAnn Testani. "We don’t turn anybody away, and we don’t ask questions. All they have to do is walk through the front door and sit down."

Testani said their goal is to serve a delicious, hot meal each week to anyone in need or who would like to stop by and enjoy the company of others.

"It’s an important part of our community. It really brings people together, and we find that it’s a family-friendly type of atmosphere," Testani said.

Meals usually include an entree, a vegetable, dessert, and drinks such as water, lemonade, juice, milk, tea, and coffee. Some meals they've served in the past include hamburgers and French fries, spaghetti and meatballs, macaroni and cheese, BBQ chicken sandwiches, beef stew, and chicken and biscuits. They also provide holiday meals, such as a Thanksgiving dinner.

Menus are posted to several community Facebook pages each week, usually on Monday mornings.

The Norwich Community Soup Kitchen offers free weekly meals from September to late May or early June each year. Testani said they follow the Norwich City School District calendar, meaning they will be closed when school is closed or during inclement weather.

Testani said the Kitchen's efforts would not be possible without the generous support of the community and volunteers, as well as St. Bart's for providing the kitchen and dining space.

"All of this comes from contributions from the people and organizations and around the community," she said. "We’re very, very fortunate to have such a great community that we have so many people who support us."

Thanks to their donations of time and resources, Testani said they're able to serve around 80 to 90 people each week.

For more information on the Norwich Community Soup Kitchen, contact the St. Bartholomew's Parish Center office at 607-337-2215.