2022 SPRING NEWSLETTER
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LETTER FROM OUR CEO A reflection from our CEO.
MK 2022 GALA 02
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We look forward to celebrating in person with you on May 18.
ADVOCACY Translating historic budget wins into housing!
NEW MK TEAM MEMBERS MK welcomes new staff!
Q&A WITH WESLEY THOMAS We chat with Wesley Thomas – Speakers Bureau, Miriam's Kitchen – about his experience.
KITCHEN TEAM UPDATE See what our kitchen team has been up to.
A JOURNEY TO HOUSING AND WELLNESS Meet MK Guest, Mr. Koonce.
THE RECIPE FOR IMPACT 08
Learn how you can continue to support Miriam's Kitchen.
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DEAR MK COMMUNITY, Exercising gratitude is something I have done more intentionally in recent years. It has helped me focus on the things that make life meaningful as I experience grace within everyday challenges; travel and spend time with family and friends again; watch my children excel in school and enjoy life, and enjoy a career that enables folks to live fulfilling lives. A significant part of my gratitude has been for loyal supporters like you, who have helped us overcome countless challenges. Not only have you helped us to survive, but you have also propelled us into a moment of joy — the generational opportunity to end chronic homelessness in the District of Columbia. Ten years ago, Miriam’s Kitchen adopted a vision of ending chronic homelessness in DC. Because it was such an audacious goal, it was scary to hold ourselves accountable for something so crucial. We built an advocacy program to secure housing for our guests; began ongoing supportive case management for guests who moved into housing; built a street outreach program to reach guests who were not coming to the Miriam’s Kitchen dining room; and shifted the focus of our dining room case management services to be more housing-focused. As our work continued to evolve, we also recognized the need to address the significant connections between systemic racism and homelessness as statistics continued to highlight striking racial disparities. Our most recent victories include securing 2,400 permanent housing vouchers within this year’s DC budget for those experiencing chronic homelessness. Our attention now turns toward the timely distribution of these vouchers to get as many folks housed as quickly as possible. To take advantage of this historical opportunity, Miriam’s Kitchen is: Advocating until the finish line: Miriam’s Kitchen does not want the implementation of expanded housing and other important changes to slip. Because of this, we are now growing our advocacy team to ensure that housing implementation moves forward, that additional housing resources are secured, and that other important system reform efforts continue. Expanding Housing: Our housing case managers currently support 220 individuals who are re-shaping their own futures in support of economic success. As of spring 2022, we will support more than 330 individuals. Expanding Street Outreach: Our 19-person Street Outreach Team expanded to connect individuals living in encampments to housing. Our team’s geographic area is half the District of Columbia, covering most of northwest Washington. Re-imagining Social Services: Our Social Services Team added staff and changed operating hours to allow team members to have in-depth, problem-solving conversations with guests focused on housing while allowing greater flexibility for case managers to accompany guests to appointments. Deepening our Equity Work: We created and staffed a Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to close gaps within, and further build, our internal and external equity infrastructures that will contribute to the success of our guests. Thanks to all of you, we are now closer than ever to achieving our goal to end chronic homelessness. We could not do it alone; I am grateful for the community that has gotten us this far! We look forward to celebrating in person with you on 5/18 at our 2022 Miriam’s Kitchen Gala “Play It Forward” – our first in-person event in three years. If you are interested in participating, please contact Rachel Glassman at rachel.glassman@miriamksitchen.org. Hoping to see you there so we can all celebrate what makes life meaningful.
Sincerely,
Scott B. Schenkelberg President & CEO, Miriam's Kitchen
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2022 HONOREES
COMMUNITY SPONSOR
Dignity Honoree:
Altria Group
Wesley Thomas,
Latham & Watkins
Speakers Bureau Miriam's Kitchen
MEAL SPONSOR
Change Honoree:
Abt Associates
Nestlé USA
Brianne K. Nadeau,
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Sidley Austin LLP
D.C. Council
Clark Construction
Volkswagen Group
CTIA Wireless
of America
Foley and Lardner LLP
Wilkinson Barker
Forbright Bank
Knauer, LLP
PREMIER SPONSOR
HEALTH SPONSOR Questions:
Bernstein Management Corporation
events@miriamskitchen.org
Coca-Cola Consolidated
Sponsorship Opportunities:
Donnelley Financial Solutions, LLC
Rachel Glassman, 202.452.8926 x 235,
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
rachel.glassman@miriamskitchen.org
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. United States Telecom Association Wells Fargo
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TRANSLATING HISTORIC BUDGET WINS INTO HOUSING! Thanks to your support, the leadership of our advocacy team, and our many partners, the DC Council passed a historic and transformative budget for ending homelessness last year! This budget included the resources to end homelessness for over 2,370 individuals – nearly four times more than has ever been allocated before in one year. This historic budget win will drastically reduce chronic homelessness in DC, and we are already seeing many long-time Miriam’s Kitchen guests start the housing process thanks to this funding. After this transformative win, we turned our advocacy attention towards ensuring these resources are implemented. Since the start of this fiscal year in October, we’ve been working with our partners to identify and address the inefficiencies and gaps in the housing process while navigating the challenges of growing a system that needs to implement four times the resources as before. In addition, a focus of our advocacy was addressing the Mayor’s approach to encampments. While we couldn’t change the Mayor’s approach, we are thrilled to see that the permanent closures seem to have ceased and we are proud that we mobilized thousands of people around this issue. Right now, we’re busy advocating for funding to end homelessness in NEXT year’s budget. Specifically, we’ll be working with the DC Council to pass a budget that includes continued funding for proven housing solutions, like Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), as well as homelessness prevention, affordable housing, homeless street outreach, and more. To stay informed on what’s happening with our advocacy work, make sure you follow The Way Home Campaign on Twitter – @thewayhomeDC. For questions about our advocacy work or to get more involved, please feel free to contact our team at miriamskitchen.org/contact.
ADVOCACY UPDATE
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WELCOME NEW MK STAFF MK is growing! We are growing our programs, serving more clients, and welcoming lots of new team members. Welcome to the newest members of the MK community!
NEW STAFf SINCE september 2021 Allie Douma , Grant Writer & Prospect Researcher
Jeffery Porter , Harm Reduction Specialist
Eliot Gold , Program Manager
Jaztina Somerville , SOAR Outreach Case
Cheri Hall , Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Manager
Demetria Jackson , Encampment Case Manager
Jackson Todd , Encampment Case Manager
Nikki Jafari , Digital Fundraising & Engagement
Destiny Traynham , Encampment Case Manager
Coordinato r
Tedi Velo , Case Manager
Ronetta Mitchell , Case Manager Kiea Murphy , SOAR Outreach Case Manager Michelle Nelson , Operations Coordinator Helena Palmer , Encampment Case Manager Sandrie Pierre-Louis , Case Manager
Total staff as of March 2022: 67
Q: You were recently profiled in the Washington Post about your life and connection with Miriam’s Kitchen – what was it like to share your story?
A: Sharing my story with the Washington Post was exceptionally amazing!
Q&A WITH WESLEY THOMAS
It allowed my story to reach a broader audience. To tell them about the serious plight of a chronic homeless man that survived 29 winters on the streets of Washington, D.C, and was able to use his new journey to assist and advocate for his remaining brothers and sisters still living on the streets! It felt like I was paying it forward.
Q: It also led to you meeting your favorite author, Patricia Cornwell. What was that experience like?
A: Reading books while being homeless gave me peace of mind. Patricia
Cornwell was my favorite author. She got me through the hard times! Her writing skills are amazing. Having the opportunity to meet her in person, words could not explain how I felt! My heart was filled with joy and happiness – yes, I cried! She took the time out of her busy schedule to come visit me. She told me that it would be the only in-person book signing. Wow! Now, we are in email contact on a regular basis. Q: You’ve talked before about your “learned experience” – why is it important to center lived experience when we talk about the topic of homelessness?
A: Lived experience is a key issue when talking about people having
experienced homelessness. Over a period of time, we have acquired a specific skill set that allows us to navigate outreach or advocacy with ease. Whether we are testifying before the DC City Council or assisting homeless people still living on the street, we understand the plight and the needs of the homeless people, having lived it first-hand. Q: In your opinion, what’s a key misconception about people experiencing homelessness?
A: The greatest misconception about people experiencing homelessness is
that it is a choice – that they are all addicted to drugs or alcohol, come from poverty, or are uneducated or unemployed. These are underlying conditions associated with homelessness. Mental illness is one of the main factors here, and homelessness doesn’t discriminate! It is no respecter of Q: What is a piece of advice you might give to
person. There are all classes of people experiencing homelessness.
someone who wants to get off the street but isn’t aware of what resources might be at their disposal? A: My first night spent sleeping homeless on the streets of Washington, D.C. was very
frightening! If not for the advice of lived experience homeless people, it would have been difficult. They advised me about where to sleep, and how to bed down safely for the night. The next morning, they took me to Western Presbyterian Church for breakfast (Miriam's Kitchen). How poetic! We had two boiled eggs, one cup of coffee, and a cup of Kool-aide, in Styrofoam cups. This is how we became aware of the many resources available to homeless people living on the streets – word of mouth, an infinite tool. Miriam's Kitchen has come full circle since then, now providing gourmet meals, case management services, and outreach teams. And they provided me with an apartment, which I now call home!
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ENDING CHRONIC
HOMELESSNESS.
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KITCHEN TEAM UPDATE The entire Kitchen Team has been grateful to continue serving high-quality, healthy, scratch-made meals to our guests from
WHY VOLUNTEER WITH MK?
the beginning of the pandemic as we continue to navigate the
“I can’t truly pinpoint why I volunteer but one of
uncertainty of COVID and the state of the world.
the purposes of human life is to serve and show compassion. We only have what we give. Be intentional
What we do know is we could not have done it without the
and with purpose.”
support of:
– Nicole Loving, MK Volunteer
Individual & corporate donors
"So many guests appreciate all the services provided by
Purveyor & partner donations
MK, I'm proud to be a part of an organization that brings
Grants from foundations
positivity to their lives. I volunteer at MK because I know
MK leadership
that everyone deserves a little help and I want to bring a
Unwavering volunteers
smile to their face, one hot meal at a time.” – Kumi Kato, MK Volunteer
We are also proud of having the opportunity to support local Black, minority and small restaurants with our Fresh Take
“I volunteer at Miriam’s Kitchen because I love the
Friday initiative. This initiative allows us to choose a restaurant
community of guests, volunteers, and staff.”
weekly to provide dinner on Fridays. We know how
– Qi Hu, MK Volunteer
challenging it has been for everyone in this industry and we wanted to help pillars in the community through these tough
“Volunteering at Miriam’s Kitchen is so rewarding! I enjoy
times. To know what this work means to businesses and the
serving members of our community with a friendly
people behind them has been a blessing. The other benefit is
greeting and handing them a delicious, healthy meal. In
that it gives the guests an opportunity for more diverse foods
this time of distancing and disconnect, I am happy to
and gives our small kitchen team a much-needed break.
contribute my time because of connections I’ve made and
Thank you to all the partners and the many ways you have and
friendships forged.”
continued to support our team through this pandemic!
Our previous fresh take friday partners include:
– Jack Nelson, MK Volunteer “I enjoy volunteering at Miriam's because it gives me a chance to give back to a community that means so much to me.” – Aditya Loganathan, MK Volunteer
1Fish2Fish
Queen Vic
Bub & Pop’s
Shouk
Call Your Mother
Simple Greek
“I volunteer because of the guests who deserve to be
Commissary
Support & Feed
treated with dignity and served with a smile.”
EatWellDC
Taco Bamba
Hardy’s BBQ
Timber Pizza
Henry’s Soul Café Muncheez Myron Mixon BBQ PLNT Burger
– Jocelyn, MK Volunteer
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A JOURNEY TO HOUSING AND WELLNESS Mr. Koonce does not have enough good things to
If there is one thing Mr. Koonce wants
say about Miriam’s Kitchen. As someone who
people to take from his story, it’s that
knows that people experiencing homelessness
“people that come from a ‘good’ background
come from many different backgrounds and walks
can have medical conditions and mental
of life, he is thankful for people and programs who
health that make you wind up on the street,
understand this and “help us get back to normal.”
and these programs can help us get back to normal. They can get back no matter how far
His story is one of a “before” and “after.” Where he
they've fallen.”
was in life and where he is now. He describes the “before” as the depression, addiction, and trauma
Mr. Koonce is now in an apartment in
that led to him experiencing homelessness. The
Southwest DC overlooking the Potomac River,
after? That’s where he is now, and he says that
enrolled in a Back to Work program, and
Miriam’s Kitchen has been there to aid and support
maintaining a regular relationship with his
him every step of the way.
primary care physician. He is a member of the Speaker’s Bureau at Miriam’s Kitchen.
His journey to housing started in 2017 when, after multiple experiences in hospitals and institutions, he was in a rehab program to deal with a dual diagnosis of substance abuse and alcoholism. After being referred to Miriam’s Kitchen and working with case managers, Mr. Koonce was able to obtain housing in October 2017 and has been able to maintain stable housing since then. He stressed the journey of wellness back into his life – mind, body, and soul, he says – and how important that is to him. He says that Miriam’s Kitchen has always been there for meals and special support, but he is so grateful for the people who have been there to provide support at every step of his journey, both to find housing and to help provide stability through the pandemic.
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I’M A MEMBER OF THE MK CLUB AT MIRIAM’S KITCHEN BECAUSE...
ENDING HOMELESSNESS: RECIPE FOR IMPACT
"As a former volunteer, I know that Miriam's
Thank you to all our recurring donors! Your support
Kitchen treats every guest with dignity
enables us to respond to our guests’ immediate
while providing essential services that
needs and push for long-term solutions to ending
make a real difference in the lives of people
chronic homelessness. For more information on how
dealing with homelessness in our own
to join the MK Club, contact Diva Geddie at
community.”
diva.geddie@miriamskitchen.org . – Julia Brodbeck Quam
A NEW WAY TO GIVE! "I am a recurring Miriam's Kitchen donor and have been for several years because Miriam's Kitchen focuses on ensuring that their participants have healthy meals and housing. There is no greater need than food and shelter and that is why Miriam's
Donors can now support Miriam’s Kitchen and your neighbors experiencing homelessness by donating cryptocurrency. Visit miriamskitchen.org/give/givecrypto to learn more.
Kitchen has my support. The more financial support Miriam's Kitchen receives the more they will be able to feed and shelter those in need. I encourage you to give to Miriam's Kitchen and expand their success." – Karen Tramontano “I am a member of the MK breakfast club because I know that every dollar I give to Miriam’s Kitchen goes directly to supporting the most vulnerable people in our city AND to address the root causes of homelessness in our community.” – Sherry Trafford, Miriam’s Kitchen, Board Secretary
HOW YOU CAN HELP TODAY There are many other ways you can provide direct support, from meals to housing, for our neighbors experiencing homelessness, while also creating a more equitable system where everyone has a safe, permanent place to call home. Whether it’s mailing a check to donating online, IRA to DAF, or stocks to crypto, find the most effective ways you can make a difference right now at: https://www.miriamskitchen.org/give/ways-togive/
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