Nelson González is 69 years old, born in New York, descends from a large Puerto Rican family and although he prefers not to mention the reasons that led him to this, this Thanksgiving he shares the table with other people who, like him, are welcomed by Cathedral Kitchenan organization that for almost five decades has supported people with basic needs to survive.
Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays in the United States that is usually celebrated in the family, which takes a break from the hectic daily life and gathers to share and give thanks for everything received in the past year.
“It has been a blessing to me that I have been able to be part of these programs that they have here. Sometimes in the family that one has, things happen, the economy changes and we find places like this, which exist so that we do not forget that we have family outside of the family,” says González, now dedicated to “advising” young people so that they do not make “bad decisions” that lead them to disorganize their lives and those of their loved ones.
Cathedral Kitchen, an initiative of love on Thanksgiving Day
Cathedral Kitchen is an initiative of more than four decades, which assists with food and other supplies to people with basic subsistence needs, including many Latinos, Camden, New Jersey, November 2, 2024.
Founded 48 years ago, Cathedral Kitchen has the mission of supporting communities in need to escape food insecurity and defend their search for stability and prosperity. Along those lines, he is an emergency food provider in Camden, New Jersey.
Each year it serves more than 100,000 meals. It has programs to assist the community, including incorporation into work, access to hygiene products and subsidized housing. The beneficiaries are mostly homeless people or people who live in shelters because they do not have jobs or due – in many cases – to addictions that limit them socially.
“I am very grateful,” emphasizes González.
Edwin González is 56 years old, is from Puerto Rico and has been receiving food from Cathedral Kitchen volunteers for three months.
“I’m alone and I come to eat with friends I’ve known for years. They (the volunteers) treat you well, I love the food they make, it’s very good,” he says.
Next to him, Félix Rosada, also Puerto Rican, says that Thanksgiving for him is “enjoying with family” and points to the friends sitting at his table. “We are here today enjoying as a family, no matter what race we are, there is nothing wrong with that. It’s sharing and being together,” he says and returns to his plate, generously served with roast turkey, mashed potatoes and vegetable salad.
José Santiago is 71 years old and tastes his dish, while giving thanks for this day: “It is very worth being invited to a dinner like this, you forget that sometimes we are very alone.”
Cathedral Kitchen: the magic of hot food
The hot meal they offer to their guests, as employees and volunteers call the people who attend at Cathedral Kitchen, consists of a main dish, a vegetable or salad, a side dish and a drink.
They also deliver meals for local after-school programs and for centers that support low-income seniors. Likewise, this organization sends donated food to local pantries, churches, and soup kitchens.
Carrie Kitchen-Santiago, executive director of Cathedral Kitchen, explained to the Voice of America the most notable results of the organization in almost five decades of work.
“We help people get jobs in the culinary field. We help them keep those jobs. We help people get food, cooking supplies, personal hygiene items and also access basic services that will help them stabilize their lives “Kitchen-Santiago said.
Cathedral Kitchen has graduated around 400 people in culinary and baking arts in courses held each year. Graduates receive financial literacy and job interview skills training.
According to the organization, more than 86% of graduates find employment within the first three months after graduation.
The pleasure of serving others
Naimah Rutling is the head chef at Cathedral Kitchen. She proudly says that she belongs to the community she serves and is clear about why she works for this project.
“I decided to join this mission because it’s about helping people (…) I come from the same area, so I know what it’s like to help others and receive help (…) When I come home at night, I think about what I can do better today than yesterday. So I’m always thinking about other ways I can help people.
Thousands of volunteers of diverse faiths and backgrounds residing in southern New Jersey are available each day to help serve the meals, which helps keep the organization’s costs down.
John Frasca, who is an accountant, is one of them. Dedicate days of the month to volunteer at Cathedral Kitchen. “It feels good to do it. There is a lot of need in the community. We need more people here, honestly, to do this work. But everyone here has a good time, it’s a great thing what we do, we salute the community and make their day be better.”
Latinos and African Americans among the most vulnerable
According to data from Cathedral Kitchen, the demographic makeup of their guests is approximately 45% African American, 25% Hispanic, and 31% Caucasian. 82% of them live in Camden, a city often marked by violence and seen in the 2000s as among the most violent in the United States.
Read also: Camden: a US city that escaped chaos with police reform.
Men outnumber women who find support in this organization. In the first quarter of 2024, 71% of guests were men and about 26% were women. In terms of ages, children represent approximately 12% of the guests and the elderly 20%.
Many of the people who receive support from this organization are homeless, so they live on the streets, in cars or in shelters. Although some have jobs (8.4%), it is not enough for them to pay for food, especially at the end of the month.
According to US Census statistics, 39% of Camden’s population lives below the federal poverty level, which is equivalent to more than a third of the city’s residents.
José Feliciano trained with the Cathedral Kitchen team and has been working as a kitchen assistant for two years. “The day I graduated they offered me a job. There are people in need who, when you are at home, don’t pay attention to them. It’s hard to explain, but when you see something like that you say: ‘Wait.’ ‘There is a need here in this city.'”
About 26% of Cathedral Kitchen’s budget comes from individual donations. They also have government grants (5%), corporate funding (6%), private foundations (16%), income from social enterprises (53%), and profits from their own annual fundraising (4%), from Harvest for Hunger, a wine tasting and auction held in the fall.
“We serve up to 700 meals a day (…) many times you don’t think that someone is hungry and in need. So it’s Thanksgiving and these people don’t have anyone, for whatever reason, they lost their job , a relationship, it doesn’t matter but thank God we have a place like Cathedral Kitchen where they can come and eat a plate of food,” celebrates Feliciano.
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