A home-cooked dinner, free to all who are hungry.

Bessie's Table

Every Monday at 5:30 p.m., we serve a delicious, home-cooked, healthy meal to anyone who comes to our door. Anyone.

Do you enjoy helping and enriching the lives of others?

Bessie’s Table provides an excellent opportunity to do both! Volunteering is simple. We need volunteers to assist with:

Set-up
Serving
Cleanup

If you or your group would like to volunteer at Bessie's Table, use the form below, or email us at bessiesdinner_desplaines@yahoo.com.

Bessie’s Table serves dinner each Monday from 5:30pm until 6:30pm. Dining room volunteers should arrive by 4:00 pm to set up. Clean-up is completed by 7:00 pm.

You can volunteer every Monday night or one Monday per month. All volunteers must be 14 years of age or older. We appreciate the time that you give, and so do our guests!

The Bessie's Table story:

It works on the “Stone Soup Principle”; we gather donated food items from our local community and create a complete meal. These donations make it possible for Bessie's Table to create and serve dinner to 100-125 hungry people every Monday evening.

"It's a challenge when there aren't enough donations. When the donations are not enough, we have to purchase whatever is needed. One night's meal can cost about $150.00. Unbelievably, our expert volunteers can stretch that $150 budget to enough food to make a nutritous meal that feeds the entire group."

We love Group Volunteers!

Is your your organization, school, or church looking for a community partnership program? What better way then to partner with Bessie’s Table, and have your $150.00 partner donation help so many individuals here, in our home community. With your gift, you'll get a certificate to proudly display in your office or headquarters, recognizing you as a partner.

It takes many hands and many hours each week. For example, volunteer groups include: Audi, Littelfuse, Feldco, St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church, Boy Scouts, School Groups, Athletic Teams and other churches, regardless of religion. This is a great family activity as well as a fun individual activity.

We are thankful to all our friends, including GFS, a main sponsor which donates produce every week, as well as other items.

Panera Bread donates bagels, breads and croissants, and sweet rolls when these are available. Jarosch Bakery provides delicious desserts and breads as does the Jewel Food Store on Dempster/Elmhurst in Des Plaines. The Des Plaines Self Help Pantry donates excess meat as well as holiday hams and turkey dinners

100% of every donation goes directly to food and kitchen supplies. There are no administrative costs.

In 2003, we heard the call and started Bessie's Table. It's a mission with one simple goal; to "Provide a hot home-cooked meal, in a welcoming setting, to persons and families in need, at no cost.”