Cathedral Kitchen Director Discusses Program With Moorestown Rotary Club

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Cathedral Kitchen Director Alexandra Willis recently visited the Moorestown Breakfast Rotary Club to discuss the kitchen’s program.

Cathedral Kitchen is the largest emergency food supplier in Camden, and was established in 1976. In 2015, than 8,000 volunteers served more than 100,000 meals.

Food is donated from a variety of sources, estimated to be worth about $400,000 a year, and about 30 percent of its budget comes from individual donations. The remainder is comprised of government grants (12%), corporate funding (5%), private foundations (28%), social enterprise income (15%), and proceeds from our annual fundraiser (8%), Harvest for Hunger, a wine tasting and live auction held in the fall.

Other facts Willis discussed with the Rotary Club included:

• Food served at CK is cooked on the premises, plated and served at the table; there is no “soup line”;
• Dinner is served Monday through Friday, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., and lunch on Saturdays is from noon to 1 p.m.;
  
• The hot meal consists of an entrée, a vegetable or salad, a side dish and a beverage;
• It also provides meals for local after school programs, groceries for low-income senior centers, and sends donated food to local pantries, churches and soup kitchens that also serve our client population;
• The Culinary Arts Training Program and the Baking Arts Training Program operate concurrently for 17 weeks, twice per year. The two programs enroll approximately 60 students per year. Both programs include classroom instruction in culinary/baking arts, plus ServSafe certification training, like skills, financial literacy and interviewing skills training. Graduates are assisted with job placement and over 80 percent of graduates find employment during the first three months following graduation;

• In 2015 CK launched two social enterprise initiatives: a contract meal program serving local shelters and halfway houses and the CK Café, open for lunch and private parties. Along with an existing catering program, its social enterprises provide income for CK’s human services programs;

• Its Case Manager assists our dinner guests and students with a variety of needs and provides referrals to other agencies that can help;
• Dental care services including cleanings, fillings, extractions and dentures are provided in our on-site health suite. Since 2010, CK’s Project Smiles has been providing dental treatment to low-income residents of Camden, Pennsauken and Gloucester City, NJ who have no dental insurance, and are unable to afford the cost;
• On-site general health care screenings are provided in partnership with Project H.O.P.E.;

• Demographic make-up of those served is: approximately 45% African-American, 25% Hispanic and 31% Caucasian or other;
• 82% of those served are residents of Camden;
• 30% have not completed high school or earned a GED. Men outnumber women by about 3 to 1.
• Children make up about 12% of the guests; the elderly 20%;
• Many guests are homeless; others are living on welfare or SSI/SSD; some are employed but do not make enough money to pay for food, especially at the end of the month;
• Most guests walk or ride bikes to the Kitchen; some come via public transportation; and
• According to census statistics, 39% of Camden’s population lives below the federal poverty level—over a third of the residents!

The attached image was provided by the Moorestown Breakfast Rotary Club: left to right, Alexandra Wills - Director Cathedral Kitchen; Dr. Ben Blank - Rotary President; and Beth Cashan, Rotary Member.