Norwich — A weekly community meal put together by a coalition of churches, human services groups and volunteers will move into a permanent home for the first time in nearly 30 years this Sunday.

Starting Sunday, the greater Norwich community meal will be held at 1 p.m. at Lee Memorial United Methodist Church, 294 Washington St.

The free meals have been offered at rotating sites in the downtown Norwich area since 1987.

“Our plan is to make the meals more accessible to all who wish to come,” said the Rev. Jacob Juncker, pastor of Lee Memorial United Methodist Church, in a news release announcing the change.

“We believe that community is built around the table, one meal at a time, when people have the opportunity to meet, share a meal and serve one another,” he said.

For nearly three decades the Sunday community meals have been coordinated by a small group of Norwich churches and organizations including United Congregational Church, the Norwich Area Clergy Association and Salvation Army of Norwich.

A steering committee began meeting in 2015 to plan the program’s sustainability and build greater support from residents and organizations, the release said.

The committee surveyed people attending the meals, including patrons of the St. Vincent de Paul Place soup kitchen, for improvement suggestions.

Recommendations included having the meals at one set location and providing healthier menu choices.

For more information about the weekly community meals in Norwich or to volunteer for the program, contact Juncker at (860) 887-5886 or go to http://facebook.com/greaternorwichcommunitymeal.