Sangamon Digest

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Central ILWAND · Oct 6, 2026

Decatur pastor keeps Sunday meals going in Central Park after Oasis closure

The health department briefly shut him down; Phillip Cole now has a temporary permit to serve on site.

With the Oasis Day Center closed, Pastor Phillip Cole has been serving meals to people experiencing homelessness at Decatur’s Central Park on Sundays, when other agencies are closed, WAND reports. He said the Oasis gave people a place to shower and wash clothes so they could look for and keep jobs.

The health department initially stopped the meals over food-safety concerns, but Cole said he has obtained a temporary permit to serve on site and plans to keep going every Sunday until the Oasis reopens.

Paraphrased for the Oct 7, 2026 Wednesday morning digest. Read the original at the source link. Not affiliated with the newsroom.