The Matchan Center: A brief, but fascinating history.

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, Michigan, 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 would provide the right focus... 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.

It was decided that we would open as soon as we could get $600 of commitments for per month and enough volunteers to run the kitchen. The volunteers came before the donations, so 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.

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. We are working with Christian Legal Aid to obtain legal counseling for our 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 existed between Northern and Southern Oakland County. It brought conferences on the far north side, back in to the picture. Much of our foodis 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 when we served around 17,630 meals that 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 currently employ three part time people. A kitchen manager and two kitchen helpers to clean up as Volunteers often burnout when it comes to clean-up with the added 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 81 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!