Matchan
Nutrition Center
The
Nutrition Center opened on May 15, 1984, although
work began three years before the opening. At
a St. Vincent de Paul Oakland District meeting
in 1981, a publication was read stating OAKLAND
COUNTY IS ONE OF THE MOST AFFLUENT COUNTIES IN
THE UNITED STATES, other than PONTIAC WHICH IS
THE SECOND MOST DEPRESSED AREA IN THE COUNTRY.
As a result, three Vincentians (volunteers) from
Oakland County District of the St. Vincent de
Paul Society started to look at the possibility
of opening a soup kitchen in Pontiac.
The need was real. Various locations were visited
and evaluated. Ironically, the one that fitted
the needs was the kitchen and gym at St. Vincent
de Paul Church on the south side of Pontiac. It
was a good location and the facilities were adequate.
Pastor, Fr. Bill Easton response to the project
was positive. In November of 1981, a St. Vincent
de Paul conference was established at St. Vincent
de Paul Church, but the timing was not right for
starting the soup kitchen project, other projects
in the parish had a greater priority. This was
a time when government food was being given away
in great quantities and this parish was one of
the distribution centers.
In December of 1983, the SVdP conference at this
parish elected a new president who was interested
in the project. The government food projects were
gone and the need for the kitchen was still there.
So the project was opened once again. We visited
St. Pat's Kitchen in Detroit and talked to Sr.
Watson. She suggested we call it something other
than a soup kitchen, a Nutrition Center or something
...this we did.
The Baldwin Kitchen in Pontiac was visited and
their methods were evaluated. It was decided that
the people would not be served at the tables in
order to use the volunteers more efficiently.
We spent a day at the Capuchin Community in Detroit
and one of the most important lessons learned
here was the need for storage. Underground rooms
were converted to freezers and coolers. You don't
always get food when you need it and you don't
always need it when you get it. We decided that
the gym locker rooms would provide good storage
areas and second-hand freezers could be obtained
from the SVDP stores at no cost.
A three-person committee was established. The
following were some of the early issues, which
needed to be evaluated:
- Volunteers
- Paid employees
- Food Sources
- Food Transportation
- Other kitchens in the area
- Inventory of kitchen supplies
- Check the dishwasher, freezers, coolers, grease
traps, etc.
- Check the city codes and food handler certificates
- Liability insurance
- Tax status
- Rodent control
- Supplies
- Set goals and objectives
- Type of meals to be served
- How and where will they be prepared?
- Who will be served?
- Will there be any eligibility requirements?
- When will the meals be served?
- Support
- Funding
- Other goals besides supplying meals
It was decided that we would open as soon as
we could get the commitments for $600 per month
and enough volunteers to run the kitchen. The
volunteers came before the donations, but we decided
to open anyway. Signs were put up in store windows,
local radio stations were notified, and the news
was passed by word of mouth. On May 15, 1984,
we opened and served 48 people, we served 97 on
the second day and 102 on the third day. The first
year, 21,483 meals were served. On an average,
we now serve around 170 per day.
The
kitchen does not only serve meals, it gives away
bags of surplus food donated by supermarkets.
When we collect excess food, it is distributed
to other institutions or facilities that service
the needy; twelve clients were found spots in
the Health Care Opportunity Training Program at
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital one year. In 2001, having
a close relationship with Job Link we were able
to find jobs for clients, it is still happening
today. Medical help has been obtained for many
people through Pontiac General Hospital and St.
Joe’s Pontiac General Hospital. The American
Cancer Society comes in to conduct health, hearing,
sight, and mouth tests. At one time, volunteers
helped clients, including children, to read. Leona
Patterson, kitchen manager, is responsible for
creating new activities for the center. Currently,
we are working with Central Council and Christian
Legal Aid to obtain legal counseling for clients.
The kitchen has done as much for the Society as
the Society has done for the kitchen. A service
project like this brings Vincentians together.
In 1981 there were no conferences or conference
works in Pontiac. The Center has broken down the
barrier that once exited between Northern and
Southern Oakland County. It brought conferences
on the far north side, back in to the picture.
Much of our food is picked up by one of our Vincentians
from Walled Lake. Vincentians from more affluent
conferences surrounding Pontiac now make calls
to the homes of the needy in Pontiac.
The Center is funded by St. Vincent de Paul Conferences,
parish groups, foundations, the government and
friends. Costs have increased from $11,000 the
first year to approximately $22,000 per year in
1988 and $50,680 in 2001. We served around 17,630
meals a year. This calculates to approximately
$2.87 for a hot meal and coffee, seconds are always
available...no one goes away hungry. Bread and
other food stapes are normally available for the
people to take with them.
These costs do not include the rent that is donated
by St. Vincent de Paul Parish, the initial cost
of a van, and the cost of the donated food. We
employ five part time people. A kitchen manager,
two kitchen helpers and two people who collect
food with the van. Volunteers often burnout when
it comes to clean-up or long hours of tedious
work. A core group of paid employees is needed
so demands can be placed on those with critical
positions.
Transportation is one of our major challenges.
Food is available but it has to be picked up and
brought to the kitchen by our own people. When
a vendor or local merchant gives away food, they
want you to make a commitment to be there when
needed and on his terms. Sometimes there is too
little food and we have to exist on surplus food
collected at an earlier date. Other times there
is too much food, we will find other outlets and
deliver the food.
If one had to pick the most important reason
for success of the Center, it would have to be
the endurance and dedication of its volunteers.
We started out with six to ten volunteers many
are still with us today. There are about 84 people
who are on the active list of volunteers. Approximately
four core members will be there every day we serve.
In addition to these people, other groups will
help one day a week or month. They come from other
parish groups or organizations such as the Ladies
of Charity. Some volunteers choose to fundraise
to facilitate the special needs of the Center,
i.e. equipment.
This summarizes the history of the Nutrition
Center, the events that led us to where we are
today, and some of the reasons for its success.
It takes a lot of people, a lot of time, and a
little help from the good Lord himself.
©
2005 St. Vincent de Paul - Detroit