JUF Uptown Cafe in Chicago provides hot kosher meals and community dining for volunteers.

The JUF Uptown Cafe is a kosher anti-hunger program located at 909 W. Wilson Ave. in the Dina and Eli Field EZRA Multi-Service Center, Chicago. Since its inception in 1998, TOV volunteers have served over 242,000 kosher meals to those in need, fostering a safe environment where common respect and dignity are paramount. The Cafe operates three days a week for dinner and on Sundays for brunch, offering a restaurant-style setting that ensures the healthiest meals are accessible to the community. Volunteers, aged 12 and over, serve food and converse with guests at their tables, encouraged to enjoy meals with socially isolated diners to provide essential person-to-person contact. The organization relies entirely on its volunteer-driven model to run smoothly, requiring two-hour shifts for dinner on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and brunch on Sunday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All volunteers must be registered in advance, and punctuality is strictly enforced to ensure the service can accommodate clients. With 88% of survey respondents reporting that the Cafe provides a sense of belonging, the JUF Uptown Cafe continues to offer a vital community connection through dedicated service.