The kitchen inc - The Kitchen

02 Sep 2020

Have You Seen the Sign? The Kitchen, Inc. is Moving!

The new O’Reilly Family Campus will house the Sam F. and June S. Hamra Family Support Services Building and the Emergency Shelter. Decades of History For 37 years, The Kitchen, Inc. has been there for our neighbors in need. Sister Lorraine Biebel began serving meals to the homeless in 1983. From that first meal until today, The Kitchen, Inc. has evolved from a soup kitchen into a leader in our community providing stability and purpose to people who are homeless. Part of that evolution includes moving from The Kitchen, Inc.’s long-time campus on Commercial Street. Building a Dream Our capital…

26 Aug 2020

A Family in Crisis

A Single father and his 8-year-old twin daughters were homeless before finding The Kitchen, Inc. A Single Father The father is originally from Chicago and moved to Springfield when he was 20. He was living with his girlfriend before she started using drugs. Her drug use forced him to leave their house. When his daughters were 5 years old, their mother dropped them off at Isabel’s House. Isabel’s House contacted him and he was able to gain custody of the girls. He and the girls lived with his mother while he was enrolled in an automotive program at Ozarks Technical…

19 Aug 2020

Meet Patty, a Resident of Beacon Village

Homeless, Not Hopeless Patty was homeless, struggling with alcoholism and living on the streets when she was referred to The Kitchen, Inc.’s Community Housing program. Through The Kitchen, Inc., Patty was able to sign a lease for an apartment at Beacon Village, one of The Kitchen, Inc.’s affordable housing properties. Working Towards Sobriety Once housed, Patty began working on the barriers that led to her homelessness. Alcoholism was a huge barrier to living a healthy, stable life. Her case manager, Nancy Galetti, connected Patty to MSU Care and Burrell Behavioral Health. Part of Patty’s treatment includes injections once a month…

11 Aug 2020

Meet Maria, a Case Manager in Community Housing

I am a Community Housing case manager for chronically homeless individuals. I have been with The Kitchen, Inc. for almost two years. More than a Job Being a case manager for the homeless is more than a job. It’s a calling, a love-hate relationship of give and take, ups and downs, successes and defeats. It’s a “never the same day twice” kind of job that fills you with pride when things go right and hurts your heart when they go wrong. At its simplest, my job is to empower others to bring about change in their lives. At its most…

05 Aug 2020

116 Children Served by Community Housing Since January

Since January, Community Housing has served 255 people, including 116 children and 6 individuals aged 62 or older. The program is on track to surpass total served numbers from 2019 (298 served, with 130 children and 8 individuals 62 or older). What is Community Housing? Community Housing is a program of The Kitchen, Inc. designed to help families and individuals quickly exit homelessness and return to permanent housing. We use the Housing First model to place people in safe, affordable housing, and then address the barriers that led to their homelessness. Housing First recognizes the need for safety and shelter…

22 Jul 2020

Road to Stability

Our spotlight this week features a 51-year-old Army Veteran. He was happy to share his story but wished to remain anonymous. Growing Up Old School This Veteran grew up in Springdale, AR and “found out real early there is nothing in life for free.” At nine years old, he began working with his dad blocking mud on construction sites. He recalls returning to school in the fall as “quite a buff kid.” He credits his country, old-school upbringing for his work- and life-ethic. Connecting to Home at Last After losing his home, this Veteran found Home at Last after talking…

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