A Toni’s Kitchen Guest Story: “Jenny”

(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 who collaborates to bring other services such as mobile medical/dental services, nutrition counseling, insurance enrollment, SNAP enrollment, and other important services onsite during pantry hours.

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.

"Jenny" (not her real name) has been a guest at Toni's Kitchen Choice Pantry for one year. She is an example of someone who is genuinely service-oriented and fosters community.

Jenny has participated in many of Toni's Kitchen service offerings. Weekly she picks up the groceries for her adult brother who has health and mobility related issues. She also referred him for individual counseling at Toni's where he completed 13 sessions, all of which she accompanied him to. Jenny says the counseling "has made an absolute difference in his life."

Jenny has participated in the two social work activity groups (vision boarding and mindfulness) and one educational/support group (caregivers of children with a disability) that CP offered in the spring. At each of these she connected with the group facilitator and her fellow group members in both English and Spanish–Jenny is fluent in both.

During the activity groups she willingly helped several of her fellow group members with general understanding and/or completion of the activity. In the educational/support group she imparted her own experience and tips from supportng her adult daughter with a disability. She would often stay after the groups officially ended to continue supportive discussions with some of the group members. Always humble, Jenny says, "I've gone through a lot with my daughter; if I can help even one person with something, it means a lot to me."

Toni's Kitchen is thankful for the deeply talented partners that work so collaboratively to make sure that all our neighbors can meet their most basis health and nutrition needs.