Vincent’s Café Is Taking It To The Streets, Literally!
Have you heard the news? Vincent’s Café is taking it to the streets – literally! The Café has been replaced by Vincent’s Mobile Kitchen. Originally a 79 passenger school bus now transformed into a full café on wheels serving as a mobile kitchen/disaster response unit to feed working poor, homeless families, youth and individuals.
Mobile Kitchen Mission
The St. Vincent de Paul Mobile Kitchen will serve our communities’ working poor families, homeless, and children in rural areas where resources are limited and food and daily meals are not available. We are not concerned with race, ethnic composition or income level. We serve whoever is in need of the services we provide. We go where the need is!
In Memory of
Bob Kerrigan, who couldn’t stand to see anyone go hungry…
Special thanks to Mary & Michael Kerrigan for their generous donation in memory of Bob for Vincent Mobile Kitchen.
How It Works
The St. Vincent de Paul food recovery network collects over-produced food from restaurants, caterers, hospitals, universities and delis. This very nutritious, delicious food will be served daily in the mobile kitchen. We will purchase fresh fruit, vegetables, milk products and shelf stable food to supplement each meal as necessary and for the weekend food package. Phase-II will add emergency food box delivery to rural communities that are currently going without the service. Our mobile kitchen is fully self contained.
Mobile Kitchen Amenities
Inside the mobile kitchen is a great place for families and individuals to stay warm or cool in a comfortable environment while enjoying a friendly non-judgmental atmosphere with dedicated volunteers. Inside the mobile kitchen you’ll find:
- Picnic style tables and benches to seat 15 to 18 people
- Full kitchen licensed by the Multnomah County Health Dept.
- Six burner stove for preparing hot meals on site
- Full refrigerator & small freezing compartment
- Cupboards
- Three compartment sink and hand washing sink
- Generator
- Furnace and air conditioning units
- 8 tables with benches together create a perfect small café
.An awning was added to the outside of the mobile kitchen for people to get out of the weather while waiting for a meal inside. Tables and chairs could be set up under the awning to increase seating capacity.
A Typical Kitchen Stop
We recently served a meal at the St. Aloysius parking lot in Estacada. The visit was coordinated by the St. Vincent de Paul Conference affiliated with that Parish. Meals were given out to over 50 individuals that had come to the parish seeking a food box from the food pantry. They were overjoyed to receive a meal as well in Vincent’s Mobile Kitchen.
“Sometimes I don’t get lunch cause I don’t have enough so I may only eat a couple times a day. But this will get me that third meal, and I’m a diabetic, so it really helps me..” – Diner, Estacada
A Typical Meal
Meals are served at breakfast, lunch, and dinner depending on the cafe schedule. A lunch might include a ham sandwich, minestrone or potato soup, side salad, juice, and cookie. A dinner might serve Spaghetti, Lasagna, or Noodles with Chicken Alfredo as the main dish with a side salad, bread, and juice.
Food For Kids
Vincent’s Mobile Kitchen is now sponsoring a supplemental food program for children 3-18 years old consisting of nonperishable single serve food, fresh fruits & veggies. Every sack it delivers will contain: 1 tuna, 1 peanut butter, 1 cereal, 1 fruit bar, 4 fresh fruits, 2 fresh veggies, 1 snack bar, 1 small bag of chips, 4 juices, 4 bread slices, crackers & mayonnaise.
A Typical Diner
A young homeless person on their way to a friends house to spend the night. A mom, dad, and young child having difficulty making ends meet after one of them recently lost their job. A homeless women that has been sleeping in a vacant lot. These are the people we feed when the mobile kitchen makes its stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do you charge for a meal? Nothing, meals are free to everyone we serve. However, we estimate the average value of our breakfast/lunch meal at $2.50 and the dinner meal at $3.50.
- Why should I make a donation to the Vincent’s Mobile Kitchen Program? Because no one should go hungry. Your contributions allow St. Vincent de Paul to reach those in rural areas that need our help the most. And, your contribution is 100% tax deductible.
- What is my donation used for? One paid staff member to man the bus, fuel, and food that’s not available through or food recovery program such as eggs and dairy products.
- How can I request the Vincent Mobile Kitchen serve a meal in my town/ neighborhood? Easy, first check our Mobile Kitchen Schedule to see if it may already be serving your area. If not, contact Jacque Grieve at 503-234-1114, or email: jacque@svdppdx.org
The Helping Hands Tree
The “Helping Hands” Tree is an ongoing fundraiser for the mobile kitchen. The donations pay for operating the bus, fuel, and food that’s not available through or food recovery program such as eggs and dairy products.
Individuals can sponsor a hand/leaf on the tree (name included) represented by varying colors depending on donation amount. Each color hand has a dollar value associated: Orange – $25, Blue – $50, Purple = $100, Green – $250 and Red $500.
For larger donations, including corporate donations, a special area is set aside inside the mobile kitchen where donor names will prominently be displayed. Corporate donors will have the option of including their logo if they so choose.
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Media inquiries should be directed to:
Cassandra Garrison
Director of Communications
Office: (503) 238-5567
Cell: (503) 502-6033
cassandra@svdppdx.org
