day , it operates a shower program , emergency food pantry , and a tutoring and art therapy program for children . It distributes household items and clothing . It owns the Earthworks Urban Farm which produces 14,000 pounds of produce year-round from a two-and -a-half-acre organic farm .
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen
A FARM AND A BAKERY THAT PRODUCE REDEEMED LIVES
/// BY KRISTINE COCHRANE
n a large lot in downtown Detroit sits an imposing edifice , St . Bonaventure Monastery , the home of the Capuchin friars and the home site of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen . It is 135 years old and stands with a dignity that gives credence to its vaunted importance in the community .
Many people are not aware that cappuccino was named as a reference to Capuchin monks , who traditionally wore latte-colored robes and peaked hoods . The Capuchin Soup Kitchen , however , is more than the answer to a trivia question , and even more than just a soup kitchen .
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen is a ministry in Detroit of the Province of St . Joseph of the Capuchin Order , a religious community of friars inspired by St . Francis of Assisi . More than 800 years ago , St . Francis created a “ community of equality ” whose mission was to proclaim that God and peaceful salvation is available to all people , especially to those shunned by society . As Franciscans , the friars live and work with those who need help – the poor , the disenfranchised , and the desperately needy .
The Capuchin Province of St . Joseph began its Detroit ministry in 1883 . Today , it serves Metro Detroit by providing food , clothing and human development programs to the community . Besides preparing and serving more than 2,000 meals a
Perhaps most famously , it operates the On the Rise Bakery , which assists individuals re-entering society after bouts of incarceration or substance abuse . These people work in the bakery , which provides activity , socialization , income … and quality baked goods appreciated by a large customer base .
In addition , the Soup Kitchen ’ s Jefferson House is a 12-bed residential treatment facility that assists indigent males seeking to reclaim their lives from addiction .
The entire program is funded primarily by donations , receiving no government assistance . For the Capuchin friars , the intention and purpose of their activities is of supreme importance . In fact , it is the purity and force of the intentions , they believe , that directs the future works of any enterprise .
The Earthworks organic farm is a full program of the Kitchen and works with them to not merely feed Detroit residents , but also to create a “ foodjust ” Detroit , one in which all people have control over their food . The friars ’ purpose with this program is to build a quality food system with the combination of education , inspiration and community involvement . They endeavor to “ restore our connection to the environment and the community ” and they address the issue as a working study -- both in social justice and in knowing the origins of the local foods available throughout neighborhoods steeped in poverty .
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Innovative Health - Winter 2017