Good Samaritan Inn is a community supported soup kitchen and job skills training program with a focus toward growing local foods in Decatur Illinois.
The Good Samaritan Inn is a beautiful brick building on Union Street between King and Marietta. Patrons enter from the south end of the building (King Street), where they are welcomed by the name THE GOOD SAMARITAN INN proclaimed in large, striking green letters over a portico, which protects people from the rain and sun if they arrive before the Inn has opened for lunch.
Inside, the dining area is beautiful – wide and spacious. It’s larger than the entire dining room and kitchen of the old Inn combined! Windows along three walls allow light to pour in and the room fairly glows. The walls are painted white and pale green, with a dark green chair rail and a light green Marmolite floor. Fresh clean bathrooms are available right off the dining room.
The kitchen is amazing – volunteers and staff no longer have to suck in their breath to allow someone to squeeze past! All is bright and clean and well-lit; preparing and serving food in the new kitchen is a joy. And there’s considerably more storage than at the old Inn, so food and other items can be more neatly organized and stored. The new Inn has plenty of parking, too.
The Inn officially opened on February 8, 2010. On that momentous first day, we served breakfast-for-lunch, which is a perennial favorite, especially since those who join us for lunch don’t often get to enjoy eggs, sausage, and biscuits and gravy in the mornings.
Those who partake of lunch at the Inn are delighted with the this facility, too. No longer do they have to eat as quickly as possible because someone is waiting for their chair. No longer do they have to settle for a worn facility that’s ‘good enough’ or ‘better than nothing.’ Now they can eat a hot, tasty, nutritious lunch in the bright, clean, modern facility that they deserve. This truly is God’s house.
Please continue to keep us in your prayers – without them, none of this would be possible. Our God is an awesome God, and His power and grace are evident every day at the Good Samaritan Inn!
Our Mission is to maintain a community program to serve nutritious meals to the hungry and economically disadvantaged. We serve nearly 300 people – men, women, and children – every single day. We accomplish our mission with the help of the community: volunteers who donate time, individuals and businesses who donate money, and businesses, organizations, and people who donate food and goods. Without their help, we could not help the people who need it most.
Meals are prepared and served each day by volunteer groups from churches, social organizations, businesses, and individuals who assist a small staff. Without these volunteers the Good Samaritan Inn would be unable to fulfill its mission and 300 people each day would go hungry.
Anyone who is hungry, anyone who needs a meal can come to our table. The meal is served from 11:30a.m.-1:00p.m. daily at 920 North Union Street in Decatur, Illinois, 62521.
We offer the noon meal program, Mercy Kitchens Culinary based job skills training program, Work skills training programs with Macon Piatt Schools, and short term mission trips for church groups
"For more than 40 years The Good Samaritan Inn has served the Decatur community.It has two programs that work in tandem: the Noon Meal, providing lunch from 11:30-1pm to those in need 365 days a year, and the Mercy Gardens program, growing fresh produce for both the Noon Meal Program and partner food pantries.The Noon Meal never closes and is open all holidays. Both the Noon Meal and Mercy Gardens accept volunteers. Mercy Gardens also operates Mercy Market, a downtown Farmer's Market in Decatur's Preston Jackson Park from June - September. We do NOT offer food boxes/pantry.Our mission is to create social and economic opportunity through nourishment, gardening, and education.Donation hours are weekdays 8AM-2PM and weekends 9AM-11AM."
