Cathedral Kitchen

In April 1976, an International Eucharistic Congress was held in Philadelphia. Four young residents of Camden attended a session presented by Mother Teresa that would change their lives, and the lives of others, in the coming years. Caught up in the spirit, they formed a conference of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society with the goal of helping the hungry of Camden, and the Cathedral Kitchen was born. Despite the lack of support and the skepticism of many, the Cathedral Kitchen was an idea that addressed a need. It was conceived and implemented with the naiveté and determination of youth. And, specifically because it was an act of charity, it was destined to be successful.

Cathedral Kitchen’s mission is to help people out of food insecurity and champion their pursuit of stability and prosperity. We do that in four ways:

1. We provide nutritious meals for impoverished residents of Camden. We serve dinner Monday through Friday from 3:15 to 5:00 PM and lunch on Saturdays from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. Food served at CK is cooked on the premises, plated and served at the table; there is no “soup line”; the hot meal consists of an entrée, a vegetable or salad, a side dish and a beverage. We also provide meals for local after school programs, groceries for low-income senior centers, and send donated food to local pantries, churches and soup kitchens that also serve our client population. In 2019 CK provided 100,000 meals!

2. We provide job training. The Culinary Arts Training Program and the Baking Arts Training Program operate concurrently for 15 weeks, three times per year. The two programs enroll approximately 60 students per year. Both programs include classroom instruction in culinary/baking arts, plus ServSafe certification training, like skills, financial literacy and interviewing skills training. Graduates are assisted with job placement and over 86 percent of graduates find employment during the first three months following graduation.

3. We have built social enterprises. In 2015 CK launched two social enterprise initiatives: a contract meal program serving local shelters and halfway houses and the CK Café, open for lunch and private parties.  Along with an existing catering program, our social enterprises provide income for CK’s human services programs.

4. We provide supportive services. Our Case Manager assists our dinner guests and students with a variety of needs and provides referrals to other agencies that can help, while our Marketstand provides free groceries to individuals and families every Wednesday. We also give free personal care items to guests every Monday in our parking lot, and in partnership with Project H.O.P.E. provide on-site general health care screenings.