2/19/2009
Rolling café reaches rural poor
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| Rolling café reaches rural poor |
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Two years ago, the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Portland sold the property located on Southeast 28th and Powell and closed Vincent’s Café, where homeless and working poor families could receive free meals.
The Catholic charitable organization wanted to continue feeding the hungry, but had no good place. What if, officials asked, we bring the meals to the people, especially those far from Oregon’s cities?
In 2007, St. Vincent de Paul bought a school bus with dreams of making it a rolling kitchen and dining room that would go from neighborhood to neighborhood, and town to town, increasing outreach to those in hard times.
It took several months to locate a company that could re-invent the vehicle. Van Specialties, located in Lake Oswego, got the job.
“You can tell people about it, but until they walk on it, they cannot believe there is a fully functional commercial kitchen in the back of that thing,” says Jacque Grieve of St. Vincent de Paul.
The mobile kitchen will seat between 15 and 18 people with picnic tables and padded benches. It contains a full kitchen licensed by the Multnomah County Health Department so that hot or cold food can be prepared on location.
The six-burner stove, full refrigerator, small freezing compartment, cupboards, three-compartment sink, hand-washing sink, generator, furnace and air conditioning unit combine with the tables and chairs to create a small café.
Families and individuals can stay warm or cool while being served by volunteers. An awning was added to the outside for people to get out of the weather while waiting to eat inside. Tables and chairs can be set up under the awning to increase seating capacity.
The bus is also ready to serve in emergencies and disasters and soon will include distribution of emergency food boxes.
The first meal was served in the St. Aloysius parking lot in Estacada by volunteers affiliated with that parish. The goal is to form partnerships with non-profits in the rural communities of Sandy, Welches, Molalla, Canby, and Oregon City.
St. Vincent de Paul officials met with with Outside In, Clackamas Service Center, Foot Hills CommunityChurch, Spring Water Home Safe, Sandy Community Action Center, Village Pal Youth Activity and Family Resource Center and the American Red Cross. The non-profit groups will provide parking, outside tables and chairs as needed, and volunteers to serve and assist with clean up.
Most of Oregon’s cities and towns have a place for homeless families and individuals to receive a daily meal. But homeless people in rural areas find that food and daily meals are not available.
Clackamas County has almost 900 homeless youths who attend school and find shelter via “couch surfing,” bouncing from one friend’s home to another.
St. Vincent de Paul says even more youths and adults are uncounted, trying to find their way without resources. St. Vincent de Paul is working with school liaisons and other organizations that serve homeless people to identify areas where students and others stay. The charity is also working with a gang task force and a coordinating committee that offers affordable housing, job search and training, shelters and health care.
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