Serve Our City

We’re so glad you want to serve our city!

At Soul City, we believe love looks like showing up. One of the ways we do that is by volunteering with organizations already doing incredible work throughout Chicago.
Below you’ll find opportunities to serve in the community, whether it’s mentoring youth, providing meals, supporting families, or helping with special events. Check the boxes next to the areas you're interested in, and we’ll send you more information about how you can get involved.

Questions? Reach out to Dyamond Hill at dyamondhill@soulcitychurch.com we’d love to help you take your next step in serving.

Safe Families PLUS | Mentor Opportunity

Safe Families PLUS is a mentorship program that partners with families and youth connected to the child welfare system (through DCFS) to support young people aging out of foster care.

Right now: 10 youth are waiting for a mentor.

What you should know:

  • Who you’d mentor: Youth ages 14–21 navigating foster care and independent living
  • Commitment: 1 year, with consistent connection each month
  • What it looks like: Spending time together, encouragement, life skills, being a steady presence
  • Requirements:
    • Age 25+
    • Background check + onboarding/training
  • Support: You’ll be guided and supported by Safe Families staff the entire time
This is about showing up consistently so a young person doesn’t have to navigate adulthood alone.

Mercy Home for Boys and Girls -Mentorship Program

BOYS LOCATION ONLY
Just across the street from Soul City is Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, a long-standing Chicago ministry that provides a safe, stable home for youth who have faced serious challenges. Right now, we have a unique opportunity to come alongside their young men’s program through their mentorship program.

What is Mentorship at Mercy Home?

  • Consistency Matters: Mentorship is a once-a-month commitment to spend intentional, quality time with a young man.
  • Pre-Scheduled Hangouts: Mercy Home organizes outings and activities in advance, mentors simply show up, be present, and build relationships.
  • Life-Giving Connection: For many of these young men, having a trusted adult to listen, encourage, and show up consistently can make all the difference.

Who Can Be a Mentor?

  • We are looking for both men and women who are willing to mentor young boys.
  • You don’t have to be an expert, you just need a listening ear, a steady presence, and a willingness to share life together.

Why It Matters

The boys at Mercy Home are navigating some of life’s toughest challenges. Mentorship gives them:
  • A safe, stable relationship with a caring adult
  • A chance to dream bigger about their future
  • Someone to cheer them on through everyday life
And mentors often discover that they receive just as much as they give, experiencing joy, growth, and deeper purpose.

Breakthrough- Manna Serve Team

At Soul City, we believe serving is one of the most tangible ways to live out transformation. That’s why we partner with Breakthrough Urban Ministries on the West Side of Chicago through their Manna Meal Program, which provides hot, nutritious meals for neighbors experiencing homelessness.

What is Manna Serve?
Manna Serve happens at Breakthrough’s men’s shelter and women’s shelter. Each shelter serves about 40 guests per meal, and volunteers step right into the kitchen to help prepare and serve with dignity. Each kitchen has space for up to 10 volunteers (ages 8+).

Ways to Get Involved

  • Join the Soul City Manna Team
    Every first Sunday of the month, Soul City’s Manna Team serves lunch at both the men’s and women’s shelters. This is an open recruitment team, and we’re always looking for more people who want to serve regularly.

Why It Matters

Serving with Manna is a chance to meet our neighbors, hear their stories, and be part of God’s work of compassion in our city.

Breakthrough Urban Ministries

Breakthrough provides wraparound services to those experiencing poverty in East Garfield Park, from youth programs to workforce development to transitional housing.

YOUTH PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS
  • Basketball coaches needed Tuesdays from 5:30-7pm or Saturdays 10am-11am
  • Breakthrough Beginners preschool classroom helpers needed 8am-10am on weekdays
  • Special Interest Club Leaders needed weeknights from 5-6pm - whether arts and crafts, homework help, or Bible study - looking for passionate adults to lead enrichment activities with elementary-aged students this fall!
  • High School Youth Mentors needed Wednesdays 6:30-8:30pm

SERVING MEALS AT BREAKTHROUGH SHELTERS
  • We are looking for more groups to serve dinners this fall - Come with your small group or group of friends - purchase ingredients, prepare the meal together at Breakthrough's shelter, serve the meal, and share the meal and conversation with adults experiencing homelessness. (Thank you to many of you who have been faithfullyl serving in this way!)

Naomi's House- Supporting Survivors

Naomi’s House is a Christ-centered program that provides hope and healing for women who have survived trafficking. Just outside of Chicago, their residential program offers safety, counseling, and community as women rebuild their lives with dignity.

Ways to Get Involved

  • Serve a Meal
    Volunteers can sign up to provide and serve a meal for about 20 women on preset dates throughout the year. It’s a simple but powerful way to share hospitality and remind each woman that she is seen and valued.

  • Give Practical Support
    Many women at Naomi’s House are navigating a new start. One of the most helpful ways to come alongside them is through gift cards, for groceries, food, and transportation needs. These tangible gifts provide freedom, dignity, and flexibility for women as they rebuild their lives.

Why It Matters

Serving with Naomi’s House is more than a meal or a donation, it’s a chance to affirm the worth of women who are courageously stepping into healing. Whether you show up to share food around a table or help provide the resources that make daily life possible, you’re helping create a community where women can thrive.

Prison Fellowship

At Soul City, we believe serving is one of the most tangible ways to live out transformation. That’s why we partner with Prison Fellowship to bring hope, dignity, and the message of Jesus both inside correctional facilities and to families impacted by incarceration.

What is Prison Fellowship Serve?
Prison Fellowship Serve includes two primary opportunities: serving inside prisons through worship services and encouragement, and serving families of incarcerated individuals through care, support, and connection. Inside the facilities, volunteers help lead or support worship gatherings, offering presence, prayer, and hope. Outside the walls, volunteers come alongside families—especially children—through initiatives like Angel Tree, providing gifts, resources, and relational support.

Ways to Get Involved

  • Join a Prison Worship Team
  • Serve inside local correctional facilities by participating in worship services, sharing encouragement, and building meaningful connections with those who are incarcerated. Opportunities vary and may include music, prayer, or simply being a consistent, caring presence.

  • Support Families Through Care Initiatives
  •  Be part of serving families impacted by incarceration by helping deliver gifts, host events, or provide ongoing support to children and caregivers. These opportunities create space for dignity, joy, and connection during often difficult seasons.

Why It Matters

Serving with Prison Fellowship is a powerful way to reflect God’s heart for restoration. Whether inside a prison or alongside families, you have the opportunity to remind people they are seen, valued, and not forgotten.