One Human Family

“You show love! Even when you don’t know the person. I’m amazed by that.”

Through our work, we have the daily privilege of encountering so many of our neighbors. With each pound of food distributed to our community, there is an opportunity for an encounter that will transform lives.

When we encounter one another, we restore each other’s dignity by recognizing we all belong to one human family.

For Phillip, who has lived in the neighborhood for several years, it’s the reason he keeps coming back, “I mean, you guys treat me like a human being!”

Phillip lives in the Riverwest neighborhood taking care of his 89-year-old mother and has been coming to the Kinship Community Food Center for several years. Though he had been the manager of several restaurants and a truck driver in many states, he was forced into early retirement after a serious back injury he got on-the-job that prevented him from continuing to lift, stand long, or even walk further than two blocks.

Phillip couldn’t afford to make necessary payments or purchase his food from a grocery store, so he started coming to the Kinship Community Food Center.  “What you guys give me is probably worth a hundred bucks at Walmart!”

Though he could go to closer pantries in the neighborhood, he rides his bike every week all the way to the Kinship Community Food Center because of what he experiences with every visit. The reason Phillip keeps coming back is because there’s something more than just food here.

“You show love! Even when you don’t know the person. I’m amazed by that.”

Thank you for supporting our mission that allows us to provide a space to encounter one another through food. When we recognize that we share in our humanness together, we are able to restore dignity in each one of us.