Spring 2010 Issue 16
From The Director Carmei Ha’ir, Jerusalem, Israel
DDB Mission: Two months ago, I embarked on a tour of Israel. I saw a huge part of the Feed the hungry & country, which is as big as the state of New Jersey. Surprisingly, a provide services for highlight of my trip was a visit to Carmei Ha’ir, a “restaurant” (soup the homeless of kitchen) in Jerusalem. The Israeli’s call the soup kitchen a restaurant in an effort to preserve the Harrisburg. self-esteem and dignity of their guests. My group of friends and I had the opportunity to help prepare a meal and to serve to lunch to some very grateful Israelis. Inside This Issue: • • • • • • • •
Foreign Visit Spring Concert Award Nominations FRAC Report Life Skills Elk Chili Census Client Report
The similarities between Carmei Ha’ir and DDB are numerous. Both serve men, women, and children without any cost to the recipients. Both serve over 100 people every day of the week. Both rely upon volunteers to serve the meals but have paid staff to cook. Both rely upon the generosity of the community for funding and donations. Both have a clothing bank and refer individuals to human services agencies. Last, both base their operation on the words, “…all who are hungry, let them come and eat.”
There are also ways in which the soup kitchens differ. First, Carmei Ha’ir is located next to a market place. Merchants from the market arrive at the restaurant in the early morning with donations of food to be cooked for that day’s meal. Downtown Daily Bread orders food in advance which is either purchased or financed by grants. The kitchen at Carmei Ha’ir is strictly Downtown kosher; DDB is strictly “unkosher!” Carmei Ha’ir is set up like a restaurant with volunteers Daily Bread 310 N. Third Street serving individuals using real plates, glasses, and silverware. DDB uses metal trays, plastic utensils, and paper cups; clients are served cafeteria style. At Carmei Ha’ir, a box sits inside the Harrisburg PA door for those who wish to drop a couple shekels on their way out. Most have no extra money 17101 and pay nothing. There is no such box at DDB. www.downtowndailybread.org
Elaine Strokoff Executive Director 717-238-4717 Brenda Ervin Kitchen Manager 717-238-4718 ext. 125 Blondie Doleman Weekend Cook 717-238-4718 ext. 125 Dave An Client Counselor 717-238-4718 ext. 128 Linda McGuire DDB News Editor We welcome your suggestions, comments, and feedback.
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At DDB, English is the spoken language except for a smattering of Spanish from time to time. At Carmei Ha’ir, one hears Hebrew, Hungarian, Polish, German, Yiddish, and Arabic. Much of the clientele is made up of immigrants from Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Hungry, Poland, and other eastern European countries. Some patrons are holocaust survivors. The newer immigrants come from Ethiopia and France. In Israel, there are many people living below the poverty line, but the country takes serious care of the homeless. In an Israeli soup kitchen, it is not uncommon to see young men and women in uniform. These are soldiers on leave who are far from home. They are warmly welcomed at the kitchens. DDB and Carmei Hair both realize that “poverty is more than a lack of finances.” We can call our facility a “soup kitchen” and the Israelis can call theirs a “restaurant.” We both feed the hungry, nurture the body and the spirit, and believe in the dignity of each individual… what’s in a name?
Life Skills Classes Offered The Doctors Kienle chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) was initiated at Penn State College of Medicine in 2003. Each year, a select number of graduating medical students are nominated by fellow students for induction into the Society. Nominations are based on a combination of clinical skills and compassion in medicine. Each year, members of the GHHS participate in a community service project. This year, we expressed interest in bringing a life skills session to the clients of Downtown Daily Bread. We have organized an hour long presentation designed to help prepare individuals for job interviews. Our emphasis is placed on basic communication skills necessary to impress employers and secure jobs. We also wish to discuss some basic aspects of job interviewing, such as the resume and what consists of appropriate attire. Our hope is to aid those in search of occupation, providing them with basic skills that will prove helpful when applying for a job. We look forward to our upcoming sessions and hope this adventure proves to be a smashing success!