• PHILANTHROPY
Something smells good coming from the Loaves & Fishes kitchen on an October morning. Tantalizing aromas fill the air, as meat sauce and chili bubble in six industrial-size aluminum pots on the gas range.
The kitchen and the cramped dining room are the domain of chef Edwin Burton, who is in nonstop motion. Volunteers and staff in white aprons crowd the kitchen. At nearby tables, others cut celery, carrots and potatoes. Burton circles from station to station, giving directions and offering encouragement.
In a few hours, volunteers will serve huge portions of pasta smothered in meat sauce, as well as ham, salad and fruit.
On a day-to-day basis, Burton’ s lunch program is the centerpiece of L & F’ s many moving parts. As the Sacramento region’ s biggest provider of homeless survival services since 1983, L & F extends a menu of programs— including an urgent-care center, library, mental health facility and employment guidance. More intangibly, it’ s a destination for human kindness, a scarcity on the streets.
At 7 a. m., when the gate opens to Friendship Park in Sacramento, hundreds of homeless residents line up for meal tickets. The park, a few steps from Burton’ s kitchen, offers coffee and doughnuts at a kiosk, hot showers, lockers and laundry service. Many of the unsheltered gather wrapped in sleeping bags or blankets, pushing their belongings in shopping carts or baby strollers along North C Street.
“ I have many conversations with the volunteers and staff, and we’ re all here for the same purpose— to help our fellow human beings,” says Burton, 56, pausing on his rounds.
Burton also interacts with the“ guests,” as those on the L & F campus refer to the homeless people they serve; it’ s a show of respect.“ I know what they’ re talking about, because I’ ve been homeless, too,” he says.“ Down here, you’ re still a human being, no matter what.”
Among Sacramento’ s culinary community, where“ celebrity” chefs compete for the city’ s first Michelin star and affluent foodies never miss a restaurant opening, Burton is an unsung hero.
He and his team prep, cook and serve 500-600 lunches daily, served from 11:30 a. m. to around 1 p. m., except on Thanksgiving Day( the Salvation Army and area churches handle that), though Burton’ s team does lay out a holidaythemed spread the day before. They served nearly 900 people at L & F’ s pre-Thanksgiving meal in 2017.
Typically, up to 50 people are needed to prep, serve and clean up after lunch. The army of volunteers from 35 area churches and other organizations that regularly rotate
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40 comstocksmag. com | January 2018