DC Charity Spotlight: Miriam's Kitchen

WISH LIST $100: breakfast for 100 homeless guests; $200: 10 state identification cards (required for employment and social services); $500: 1 week of transitional housing at Arnold’s Place

Miriam’s Kitchen got its start when a group of individuals and faith-based organizations decided that people who spent their nights on the outdoor grates in Foggy Bottom needed a nutritious, hot breakfast. So every weekday morning for the last 24 years – on holidays, during heat waves, and in blizzards – breakfast has been served to chronically homeless men and women: 1,500 when Miriam’s was first featured in the Catalogue in 2003; over 3,000 in 2006. A committed staff and 1,500 volunteers meet the growing need; and new donors have pitched in too. As often happens in these cases, breakfast has expanded to include other things: health, mental health, and addiction services; therapeutic groups; transitional housing (at Arnold’s Place); and connections to longer-term resources. Winner of a Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management, Miriam’s Kitchen provides more than sustenance: it helps clients improve their quality of life, and it offers its services with dignity and respect. Your support brings the most basic nourishment – body and soul – to those who need it.

Scott Schenkelberg,

Executive Director 2401 Virginia Avenue NW Washington, DC 20037 www.miriamskitchen.org