A Meal. A Welcome. A Way to Help.

Every evening, just before five o’clock, people begin arriving at the red-brick house on 14th and E Streets.

Some come alone, others come with friends. Families and neighbors step onto the porch, walk through the door, and are greeted with a simple question: Would you like to eat here, or take a meal to go? For more than 40 years, The Gathering Place has offered Lincoln neighbors a safe, welcoming space to share a meal.

Friendly Faces

Community Action’s Gathering Place has always been a place where anyone can receive a free meal. No one has to explain why they are there, and no one has to prove they need help. Inside, guests receive a healthy dinner with fruit, vegetables, and protein. For neighbors who sit down at a table or on the porch, they often stay to chat and catch up. The welcoming atmosphere provides Community Action with a unique way to reach those in need.

Dinner for 150

In 2025, The Gathering Place served 55,300 meals. That is more than 150 meals every night. Each one was prepared in a kitchen that is only 120 square feet, about the size of a small bedroom. Think about the kitchen in your home. Now imagine using a space like that to prepare dinner for more than 150 people, every single night. That’s the challenge The Gathering Place takes on each evening.

They chop, cook, pack, serve, clean, and get ready to do it all again the next evening.

A New Place to Gather

The Gathering Place is growing into a brand-new home with a bigger kitchen, more places for neighbors to share meals, and welcoming spaces where people can find support. As you color, imagine all the ways this new building will help bring our community together when it opens in 2027.

The Welcome Is Growing

Now, The Gathering Place is getting ready for a bigger home just up the street. By 2027, it will move from 1448 E Street to 919 South 12th Street. The new building will have more room for cooking, more space for guests to eat, and private rooms where people can meet with staff for extra help.

Even with a bigger building, the heart of The Gathering Place will stay the same. There will still be dinner. There will still be friendly faces. There will still be a place for anyone who needs a meal.

You Can Help

Giving back does not have to start with something huge. It can start with donating your earnings from a lemonade stand or bake sale, or what you receive from a birthday donation box, or classroom supply drive.

Families can donate helpful items like toilet paper, cleaning supplies, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, diapers, wipes, new socks, coats, hats, gloves, blankets, easy-open shelf-stable foods, or kids’ books.

Kids who are 12 and older can also volunteer at The Gathering Place. With a grown-up’s help, they can learn about volunteer opportunities and find a way to serve meals, welcome neighbors, or help behind the scenes.

When kids give back, they help make Lincoln kinder. They help remind neighbors that they are not forgotten. They help make room for one more person at the table.

Donate or learn more about The Gathering Place at bigger-table.com.