A Toni’s Kitchen Guest Story: “Doug”

(NOTE: This is part of a series of stories focusing on how we work to improve the lives of our guests at Toni's Kitchen. To see previous "Toni's Kitchen Guest Stories," please click here.)

At Toni's Kitchen, we know that neighbors who need food support also find other local services helpful in gaining independence and stability. For that reason, our Choice Pantry (CP) is managed by a Social Worker, Nancy Xenaks, who collaborates to bring other services such as mobile medical/dental services, nutrition counseling, insurance enrollment, and other important services onsite during pantry hours.

We work with onsite complementary service partners to assist with access to important services. This collaborative approach amplifies the benefits of having access to healthy food by making strong connections to other helpful services that are already available in our local community. One of our recent guests illustrates the impact.

"Doug" came to Toni's Kitchen CP because he was recently laid off from his job as a Project Engineer. As part of the CP registration process, Doug shared the details of his current challenges: losing his job suddenly in a field where he had more than ten years of experience and now being in a position of needing help.

Nancy Xenakis, a Social Worker at Toni's Kitchen, connected Doug with Mary Conroy, an employment coach who works with CP guests. Mary helped Doug enhance his resume and develop a job search strategy over several sessions in person and over the phone.

One day in early July, Doug came to the Choice Pantry check-in table and happily shared that he had accepted an offer for a new Project Engineer position at an architecture firm in New York City. Doug said, "This would not have happened if I didn't have the support of Toni's Kitchen."

Doug also told us that he wants to give back to the community by volunteering.We love seeing how he wants to help others who are struggling.

Toni's Kitchen is thankful for the deeply talented community partners like Mary Conroy that we work with who help make sure that our guests get a helping hand when they need it.