Franciscan Center for Social Concern

The Warming House

Bonaventure's Warming House is one of the oldest student-run soup kitchens in the nation. Originally founded in 1974 as a drop-in center for lonely adults, it quickly evolved to also serve a meal a day to the homeless, hungry, and disadvantaged. Today, the Warming House serves more than 10,000 residents of the Olean area, with support from over four hundred student and community volunteers. The Warming House is located at 164 N. Union St and is open six days a week. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we now serve takeaway meals from the hours 4:00 PM-4:30 PM. The Warming House is not just a soup kitchen, it is also a community center. We offer valuable resources like a classroom for developmental education as well as related workshops. The Warming House provides service and internship opportunities for St. Bonaventure students as it continues its mission to provide nourishment, fellowship, and dignity to its guests.

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