June 10, 2008
Queens, N.Y. -
St. John’s University’s Bread & Life program and Soup
Kitchen will officially open its doors to a new, larger 22,000
square foot facility in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn
on June 11. University President, Rev. Donald J. Harrington,
C.M., will bless the new location at 795 Lexington Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY, and participate in the ribbon cutting ceremonies
beginning at 10:00 a.m.
The current St. John’s Bread & Life program and Soup Kitchen
(75 Lewis Avenue, Brooklyn, NY) distributes over 200,000 hot meals
and 150,000 food pantry meals to hungry New Yorkers, as well as
provides referrals and social services to over 4,000
individuals.
“We’re confident that our new location will be able to increase
current productivity with the services we provide and continue the
program’s commitment to the Brooklyn community and the New York
area which has spanned more than 25 years,” said Anthony Butler,
Executive Director of St. John’s Bread and Life program.
Special features of the new facility will include:
• A digital choice food pantry
• A library with six computer workstations & Internet
access.
• An electronic tracking system for volunteers.
• A restaurant style dining area
• An industrial kitchen.
• A classroom for civics and ESL classes.
• A non-denominational chapel.
• Green technology and skylights, and a recycling program.
The Digital Choice Food Pantry – the first of its kind – will
allow guests to choose nutritious food that are appropriate to
themselves and their families. In addition, the facility provides
much needed office space to conduct program and social service
activities, reception areas, cold storage and a demonstration
kitchen for food-prep training, as well as indoor parking for the
mobile soup kitchen vehicle, which travels to six different
communities in Brooklyn and Queens providing Breakfast, Lunch and
social services to those who cannot reach the main facility.
About St. John’s Bread and Life
St. John’s Bread and Life is located in Brooklyn’s Bedford
Stuyvesant. The organization was founded in 1982 as a
work of the local parish. It grew to be a freestanding
not-for-profit corporation as part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Brooklyn. In 2006, it returned to its Vincentian roots and
now functions under the auspices of St John's University.
Besides serving more than 1,000 meals daily, Bread and Life also
provides an array of social services, including nutrition
counseling, housing referral services, medical support, education,
support groups and a legal clinic. You can learn more about
St. John's Bread & Life online at www.breadandlife.org