Four years ago, Ramona became homeless at 64 years of age, losing not only a bed to sleep in, but a kitchen to cook in. She is one of the 652 clients at Elizabeth Gregory Home (EGH) who consumed 15,227 hot meals served at our drop-in Day Center in 2018.
Most of the food offered at EGH is a result of our long-standing partnership with Food Lifeline. Each week, a cadre of volunteer drivers pick up a selection of nutritious foods from their South Seattle warehouse and deliver it to the EGH Day Center. Staff, community volunteers, and client assistants sort, re-package, store, and begin preparing food for use throughout the week.
With the Day Center now open six days a week, the capacity of our kitchen is strained and kitchen expansion is sorely needed. All food storage is achieved by juggling space between three refrigerators; preparation for breakfast and lunch occurs on a four-burner electric stove.
All of that is soon to change. EGH leased additional space at University Lutheran Church in order to construct a larger kitchen with commercial-grade appliances, a walk-in cooler, and a restaurant-style dishwasher. Adjacent to the kitchen will be a dining room where up to 60 women can be seated at a time. Our goal is for construction to begin in early 2020.
Although Ramona recently moved into an apartment, she still needs the services and support of EGH. “My food stamps run out about the third week of the month and I don’t know what I would do if EGH was not here.” Ramona said. “I can come in for a hot lunch and take some groceries and leftovers with me. Besides, all my friends are here.”
Interested in helping out with our kitchen project? We’re looking for financial contributions as well as leads on in-kind donations and pro bono services. To learn more, please contact Ruth Herold at (206) 729-0262 ext. 1007.
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