About us
Our Story
A simple act of compassion became a lifeline for hundreds in our community.
It began when a staff member shared her lunch with one neighbor in need.
More than 30 years ago, a hungry neighbor knocked on the door of Royal Oak First United Methodist Church asking for food. A staff member shared a sandwich from her own lunch.
Sensing the need was greater, she suggested the Church keep food on hand. For many years, the “sack lunch program,” as it was simply known, was an informal group of dedicated volunteers making sure anyone who asked could get something to eat.
One sandwich grew into many meals, donated and served by community partners and volunteers.
Over the years, volunteers and staff grew the program, building relationships with local restaurants, businesses, and other donors.
Each week, volunteers drove to pick up or deliver food. Some came to the Church kitchen to organize meals, while others assembled bags of sandwiches at home.
Somehow there was always enough food for anyone in need.
Today we offer much more than food: clothing, hygiene essentials, showers, community resources, and more.
Eventually the Church created staff positions to coordinate what had become known as Outreach on 7th, or OO7. In recent years, as we’ve come to understand the many needs of our unhoused and vulnerable neighbors, our offerings have grown significantly.
Today, we serve a hot meal and a bag lunch to go every weekday of the year, to 50 to 80 guests a day. Each month and on every holiday, we serve a special hot meal, such as turkey or prime rib, like one you’d share at a family gathering.
We also offer laundry, hot showers with clean undergarments, Wi-Fi, and access to community support resources. Many unhoused neighbors use our building as their registered mailing address, which helps them access government resources, potential job opportunities, and more.
Outreach on 7th now operates as its own organization, with its own Board of Directors, so we can keep growing the food, supplies, and services our neighbors need.
Several years ago, dedicated leaders set up OO7 as its own organization to expand our offerings and make them more consistent. Royal Oak First still supports us with financial donations and volunteers, and our Board of Directors brings expertise from across southeast Michigan.
The need is shared across our community, so we keep building partnerships to meet it.
We partner formally with community leaders and other service organizations in Royal Oak and Oakland County, because these challenges are shared and best met together. OO7 leaders take part in groups such as the Royal Oak Community Coalition for the Unhoused (ROCCU) to work on solutions together.
Our mission
With compassion, respect, and dignity, we help underserved neighbors meet their most basic needs.
