Lazarus House

Organization Description

For the past 38 years Lazarus House Ministries has helped families and individuals living in poverty regain their dignity. We offer life-saving basic services to people in crisis and provide life-changing transitional housing, education and vocational training to help guests build more stable lives for themselves and their families. Lazarus House distinguishes itself by comprehensively addressing the multiple facets of poverty and assisting guests through all steps of their journey toward greater wellbeing and economic stability. We believe that everyone who comes through our doors has the potential to lead a meaningful, healthy, and productive life.

Opening Doors out of Poverty through Food Programs…In Extraordinary Times

While the current health crisis has caused forced closures on a number of our programs, Lazarus House has continued to provide our core basic services – food and shelter.  Through modifications in the delivery, facilities and enhanced sanitation practices we safeguard the health of our Guests and staff.

Due to the tremendous need we are experiencing from families struggling with food insecurity as a result of loss of employment and escalating food costs, we have placed a priority on food acquisition and distribution.

The number of Guests each week seeking food assistance continues to climb. In EACH of the last three weeks, we’ve seen a 20% increase in the number of Guests coming to the Soup Kitchen and the Food Pantry. Each Wednesday over 1,100 families visit our Food Pantry seeking groceries and in order to feed their families.  

To respond to the demand in our Soup Kitchen, we added an additional day to our typical Monday – Friday meal service.  Now, on Saturdays we provide breakfast with extra food “to go” for the rest of the day.   Our Soup Kitchen has also seen a surge in families asking for diapers, formula and personal care items.  We are now providing breakfast and lunch to over 950 Guests each week. 

Individuals and families come to Lazarus House because they are hungry, homeless or at risk of homelessness, or facing another emergency need, yet we always try to connect people to additional services and support so guests can take their next steps out of poverty. A meal is often the first step but it is rarely the last. Our essential core services provide a critical foundation of nourishment and safety, without which people cannot move forward and thrive.