West Side Kitchen: Feeding the Need

Although associated with St. Joseph and St Patrick's Parish Center, Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen invites people of all faiths into their doors.  The kitchen serves anywhere from 65 hot lunches a day to more than 200, Monday through Friday, with bag meals provided on the weekends.

Montalbano says the kitchen tries to set people up with certain agencies if someone doesn't have a place to live, or is dealing with other issues.  And she says some of their guests don't necessarily need the free meal... They just need companionship, especially during the holiday season.  "Two things really come out," she says, "Loneliness and depression increase. So we really try to play a more active role."

The kitchen is run by volunteers, and kept running mostly through private donations.  If you're interested in volunteering or have any questions about the kitchen, you can email Vicki at vickimontalbano@verizon.net.