PHOENIX — As soon as you step into St. Vincent de Paul’s central kitchen in Phoenix there are three things you notice: how large the kitchen is, how many people work and volunteer in the kitchen, and how much food the kitchen produces for the community.
“They come in chop, slice, dice prepare food,” Christopher Hoffman said, who has been a chef at St. Vincent de Paul for the last 10 years.
In the largest commercial kitchen in the southwest there are a total of 15 cooks and dishwashers that work in the facility every day. Joining them are about 25 volunteers that help feed about 8,000 people.
“Volunteerism is what we’re known for,” Hoffman said. “Our base is volunteers. We couldn’t do anything without our volunteers.”
Every morning at 3 a.m. volunteers and workers start preparing food for families and individuals every day. They load up the food and deliver it to four of their dining halls and 30 of their partner social service agencies.
“A lot of these people don’t have a place to go so they go to our dining rooms,” Hoffman added. “A lot of them are staying at our shelters and it’s so important to make sure we’re feeding these folks.”
With the Holidays upon us, St. Vincent de Paul is always looking for more volunteers to make some extra food.
“We thrive everyday with what we do,” Hoffman said. “But the holiday season, Thanksgiving and Christmas is really when we shine.”
This kitchen goes above and beyond to feed its community with a two-week rotating menu serving quality food. No matter how many volunteers they get, they are grateful for the help they get.
“Every day is Thanksgiving because every day we have to be thankful for what we have,” Hoffman said.
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