Cathedral Soup Kitchen, Inc.

The Cathedral Kitchen serves a hot nutritious meal every evening to the poor and needy in Camden.  Last year, the Kitchen served over 122,000 meals.  The food is cooked fresh daily on the premises by our staff and served by volunteers.  We fill over 6,000 volunteer slots a year for our meal program.

We added our Saturday meal service in 2011. We also provide our guests a "take-home" bag of additional food (sandwiches and/or salads and/or fruit) at almost every meal service.

Number of meals served, quality of food, satisfaction of those who come for meals. In 2012, we conducted a survey of our dinner guests, to acquire feedback about our meal program as well as demographic information about our clients.

Our clients tell us how pleasant it is to dine in our facility, and their high satistaction with the quality of the meals.

The Culinary Arts Training program combines class work, kitchen skill classes and large-scale production of food for the CK meal program. Training in the area of culinary arts service and food safety/security, including SERVSAFE standards, provide opportunities for a career in a stable industry in the region. The CAT program design, and the supports provided to students, enables those at the lowest rung on the economic ladder to become self-sufficient and regain their dignity as productive citizens. Camden is a city in crisis, with more than a third of the population living below the federal poverty level. The 17-week CAT program is designed to advance the self-sufficiency of our students and foster economic development in the community. CK recruits from agencies that serve those most in need of job assistance: shelters, halfway houses, CK dinner guests and the local Camden population. 20 students are accepted each session (40/year). Goals include: - Provide each student with basic training in food preparation and prepare them to pass the national ServSafe certification exam. - Provide real work experience for students by including them in the preparation of approximately 350 meals each day for the CK dinner service and 550 meals provided for other nonprofits. - Replicate a real-world work environment by requiring that students adhere to work rules, wear proper kitchen attire, complete time records, use proper work etiquette, and maintain personal grooming standards. - In weeks 15 and 16, place each student in a two-week unpaid job internship at a local food service establishment to allow them to experience another employer's work environment, as well as to obtain feedback from their employer on performance and areas for improvement. - Expose students to 20 area chefs who instruct students on a wide range of culinary topics and cooking/baking techniques. - Utilize professional volunteers to offer life skills and financial literacy workshops to help support students' overall success on the job and in their personal lives. - Provide training in job search, resume development and interview skills through lectures, workshops, and "mock" job interviews at an employer site to help students gain employment. - At least 75% of students employed and/or enrolled in post-secondary education within 3 months following graduation and at least 90% pass the ServSafe test. -Maintain and improve upon the success of our first 8 classes in 2009-2012 with approximately 75% of past graduates obtaining employment.

Since 2012, we have graduated 129 students with a 100% SERVESAFE certification rate; 74% have gained empliyment within 3 months of graduation. 

We track the number of students who have jobs, the length of time they remain employed, and their general progress for one year. The program is also assessed through employer feedback and student surveys and interviews to determine how the program met expectations and needs and to determine future modifications.

Project Smiles Dental Clinic provides free basic dental services, including reduced cost dentures, for Camden residents who have no insurance and cannot afford dental care. Clinic hours of operation are Wednesday and Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, based on volunteer dentist availability.

Nearly 800 patients were treated by a network of 10 volunteer dentists in 2012.