Columbia Dream Center

The Columbia Dream Center is the community ministry of Columbia Presbyterian Church. We seek to spread the love of Jesus through our various outreaches, including a soup kitchen, Food Pantry, Free Lunch for Kids in the summer, Power Packs, community meals, adopt a block, Clothing Bank, Restart Day Center, and a Homeless Shelter. We work closely with local businesses, organizations, and churches.  We want to "find a need and fill it, find a hurt and heal it".

This is a small snapshot of our services to the community in the month of September 2025:

Soup Kitchen - 5822 individuals served

Community Meals - Nearly 190 individuals served

Food Pantry - 923 Households served, over 3100 individuals served (adults, children, seniors)

Clothing Bank - Over 600 individuals served

Restart Day Center - 300  service connections made 

Shelter Bed nights - 440 (1 person/1 bed/each night)

As a community organization The Columbia Dream Center is grateful for our business partners who help with donations of all kinds! We also have many dedicated volunteers who have donated thousands of hours to the ministry this year. Thank you all!!!

The Columbia Dream Center works with multiple organizations within the Columbia and Lancaster County community to meet the needs of those who seek help.

The Columbia Dream Center addresses homelessness year-round through the Columbia Shelter, during the 24/25 FY we provided over 5000 bed-nights to those in need.  We introduced our Restart Day Center in 2020 which is open Monday-Thursday from 9a-3p to our Shelter guests and the community where they can access our caseworkers for help with resources.  

The free Clothing Bank, our first outreach ministry, is open twice weekly to anyone in need.

The Food Ministry of The Columbia Dream Center addresses food insecurity in Columbia through our twice-weekly Food Pantry, a soup kitchen that serves lunches weekdays, and two monthly community meals featuring live music in the 4th Street Café.  Free Lunch for Kids feeds our community's children during the summer recess.  We also distribute Power Packs to the school to provide weekend food for children, and host Fresh Express at our downtown location.