It Begins With Food

Amber works a minimum-wage job in Jamestown, NY, to support herself and her two teenage sons. When the food runs out and there are still bills to pay, Amber turns to St. Susan Center’s soup kitchen for help. What she has found there is a support system that extends beyond food.

Amber’s greatest fear is that her sons will be caught in a cycle of generational poverty. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 25.3% of Jamestown residents live in poverty, underscoring the financial challenges many families face.

Through a partnership between St. Susan Center and Chautauqua Works, Amber’s sons found an opportunity to learn valuable workplace skills, serve their community, and earn a wage. The program runs throughout the summer.

Cherie Rowland, executive director of St. Susan Center, is enthusiastic about providing age-appropriate work experience for young people from low-income families. Participants learn workplace rules and processes, including the opportunity to earn their ServSafe certificate, a requirement for all FeedMore WNY partner agencies.

“Even if they apply for a job that isn’t in food service, their accomplishments in the program prove that they can be trained,” Cherie says.

Philip and Adeccio both see the value in the training and experience they’re gaining at the center. Adeccio says the program is showing him what it will be like to have a regular job one day, and he appreciates being paid while he learns.

“The people [at St. Susan Center] are friendly and helpful. I’m learning a lot that I didn’t know,” Philip says.

Recently, Amber’s eyes filled with tears as she watched one of her sons take orders, treat people with respect and do the work. She’s proud of her boys and grateful for the opportunity they’ve found at the center.

“The program is fundamental in breaking generational poverty and developing our future workforce,” says Heidi Bogue, youth retention specialist for Chautauqua Works. But it all began with a place to find food.

St. Susan Center is a partner agency of FeedMore WNY Foundation. According to Cherie, “Ninety percent of the protein we serve comes from FeedMore’s retail recovery program.”

Since 1984, the soup kitchen has served more than 3.3 million meals.