Serving Hope and Home-Cooked Meals: Soup kitchen opens new 7,200-square-foot building in Port Huron

People of all ages lined up outside the doors of Mid City Nutrition just three days after the soup kitchen began serving sit-down meals at its new building at 830 Griswold St. in Port Huron. At 11 a.m. sharp, Executive Director Sarah Jones opened the glass doors to a steady stream of clients. 

Armed with a pen and clipboard, long-time volunteer Nigar Hussain took down the names of each client and handed them a carton of eggs, greeting most by name. Some clients gave her a smile and a warm greeting before they picked up trays piled high with salad, chicken wings, mashed potatoes, and cake. 

For the first time in five years, clients sat down at the cafeteria tables to share a meal.

The 7,200-square-foot building is the culmination of a years-long capital project that was supported by thousands of hours of labor and dozens of volunteers, staff, donors, local businesses, and community partners. 

Mid City raised more than $2 million in cash to fund the new building, coming out of it debt-free, Jones says. The total value of the project is estimated to be between $3.5 and $4 million; many local businesses donated in-kind labor and equipment. 

The building features several offices and storage rooms, a large dining hall with collapsible cafeteria tables, two industrial kitchens with updated ovens, stoves, and food production equipment, large dry storage areas with a pull-up garage door, and large industrial fridges and freezers. 

The increased space allows the kitchen to store more food and better prepare meals, Jones says. It also makes maneuvering the space easier and more accessible for volunteers, many of whom are older retirees. 

“The clients love it. We all love it,” Hussain says. “I enjoy sitting down and chatting with friends. It’s easier to do my job.”

The second teaching kitchen will be used for cooking classes to teach community members and clients healthy recipes and food storage techniques. It will also be available for rent for entrepreneurs, chefs, community members, and pop-up kitchens. The rental revenue will be put toward Mid City’s general operating expenses, Jones says.

“One of the nice things about this building is that we have a lot of opportunity. It’s really a clean slate,” Jones says. “Right now, we have our mission, and that’s serving regular, prepared meals every day. But now we’re starting to think about how much more we can do. A lot of people just need a venue to do a lot of good. So, what partnerships can we make? What more can we do for this community and for our clients?”

The main cafeteria is also planned to be available for community use in the future, Jones says, whether that be for fundraisers, classes, or even an emergency shelter. 

“This is going to be a big year of growth for us. We’ll also see what our capacity is because every new program takes a little more staff, a little more funding, a little more time,” she says. “But, I have this big room, I want to use it.”

Growing Pains 

The soup kitchen had long ago outgrown its former location in the basement of St. Martin Lutheran Church, using every square inch of available space for food production and storage. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, the soup kitchen switched from in-person dining to to-go containers. Even as gathering restrictions were lifted, the number of meals and clients the soup kitchen served had increased so much that there was no longer space to serve in-person meals, and so the to-go style stayed. 

The number of meals served in May 2025 doubled from May 2022, from about 5,000 to 11,000 meals, according to Mid City’s website. Jones says the soup kitchen has served approximately 100 clients at lunch and 75 at dinner in the first few days of in-person dining. 

Jones says while the switch back to sit-down dining has a couple of drawbacks – mostly, some clients might struggle to make the time to dine in person – the return to it has been mostly positive. 

“People like a little bit of companionship. You’ll see people sit together and have a quiet meal with their friends. And maybe they can see if other services are here,” she says. “Socialization is important too, and we’re making that available.”

The new building provides space for community partners to offer their services, such as mobile health clinics that give out vaccines, check-ups, and other essential free services. Jones says it also creates greater interaction between volunteers and clients, which fosters more connections to other resources for housing, healthcare, and basic needs. 

How Mid City Makes a Difference in the Lives of Two Port Huron Residents

For some, the soup kitchen is a life-saving resource. Port Huron resident Phillip Ford enjoyed a meal with his nephew, Thyron Bartlett, in the crowded dining hall soon after its opening. His smile and cheerful manner exuded from him as he dug into a pile of mashed potatoes. 

“[Mid City] is just awesome,” he says. “I love it.”

A regular of about 15 years, Ford credits Mid City for keeping him off the streets and getting into trouble because it gives him structure and a place to go every day. Food stamps and the income from social security disability benefits are used to feed his children, leaving almost no money to feed himself.

Ford and Bartlett recently moved into a rental home in Port Huron, ending their struggle with homelessness. Ford convinced Barlett to move to Port Huron from Detroit because of the services nonprofits like Mid City offer.

“A lot of days, the soup kitchen is the only thing we have to eat,” Bartlett says. “I love this city. I love the way it uplifts.”

Lunch is served Monday – Friday at 11 a.m. and dinner at 4 p.m. On Saturdays, only lunch is available at 11 a.m. On Sundays, only dinner is available at 4 p.m.