The University’s unique relationship with St. John’s Bread and
Life Soup Kitchen in Brooklyn provides the groundwork for
effective, sustained community-based research, service-learning and
other collaborations aimed at increasing students' understanding of
poverty, engaging them in constructive research and solutions to
poverty.
An Introduction to St. John's Bread and
Life Soup Kitchen
St. John’s Bread and Life was founded in 1982 and is located at 75
Lewis Avenue in the original building of St. John’s University. As
a ministry of the Daughters of Charity and the Vincentian Fathers
at St. John the Baptist Parish, it soon expanded beyond the parish
boundaries. Recognizing the increasing involvement of University
personnel, Bread and Life grew to be a freestanding not-for-profit
corporation and recently came to be officially sponsored by St.
John's University.
Today, Bread and Life continues to address the issues of hunger
and poverty in Brooklyn and Queens. Every day, Bread and Life
serves over 1,000 meals to hungry New Yorkers and offers many other
services to its clients.
Visit the soup kitchen's current Web site at http://www.breadandlife.org/.
What Is Community-Based
Research?
Community-based research engages the resources of colleges and
universities to collaborate with community members to generate
knowledge that will address real problems and seek social
justice.
Stated Needs of Bread and Life for
Research and Service-Learning:
These questions may evolve, build on each other and call for
collaboration. They represent current priorities of the staff at
Bread and Life. Creativity and expertise are sought!
- How is information about the Earned Income Tax Credit and food
stamp programs shared and what percentage of clients are aware of
their options? How could information be more effectively
disseminated? What marketing tools can be developed?
- Explore the priority of poverty advocacy in the agenda of local
politicians: Annette Robinson, Councilman Albert Van, Vito Lopez
and Joe Lentil. What are their aims? Are they familiar with Bread
and Life? What services for the poor are likely to be considered by
politicians and are there issues that should be proposed to them?
As context, track government policies related to poverty at the
local, state and national levels.
- How does the work of civic leaders such as the Bed-Stuy Food
Providers and other community groups that meet with elected leaders
affect services for the poor? In what ways are these collaborations
effective?
- Engage the growing interest of Mayor Bloomberg, who has stated
that poverty is a city problem. Research the city’s plan for
addressing poverty and create a summary or digest of the plan to
educate others (perhaps in a Web site or PowerPoint?). Discuss the
advantages or weaknesses in the plan with clients and document
their responses. Identify the upcoming political debates or votes
that will affect the success of the plan.
- Explore more fully the context for hunger in New York. What are
correlated issues? What might be a more adequate and complete
definition of hunger?
- Research the economic cost of poverty by estimating the benefit
to the economy of the stabilization of the poor: for example,
devise a formula for accounting for less theft, ER use and
increased income from workers.
- What government funds are available for poverty and hunger
programs, perhaps through farm subsidies, the city, or the U.S.
Dept. of Agriculture? What are their funding priorities and what
programs have been successful applicants? Identify data that would
be needed in applications for funding programs from city, state,
federal hunger advocacy.
- How does one write effectively for a grant and what information
about BL’s programs and clients needs to be researched and
developed into persuasive text for grants? How should Bread and
Life use statistics effectively in grant writing?
- As a marketing strategy, demonstrate how donated funds are
used, document services and outcomes; identify audiences such as
current donors to thank, new donors to solicit or supportive
politicians to help them take credit for successes.
- How does gentrification develop in urban neighborhoods and how
does it impact social service agencies and their clients?
- Assess the needs of clients with open warrants for minor and
old charges, determine their options and identify resources for
legal counseling.
- Identify the industries with seasonal jobs; research their
employment trends and needs; outline skills needed to successfully
find employment in these fields.
- What are the job training needs of Bread and Life clients?
Assessment and practical assistance with job preparation is sought.
For example, help developing resumes, conducting skills and
interview workshops.
- What are the basic skills needed for employment in food
service, and what information and practical work should be part of
a short training session for Bread and Life clients interested in
employment in the hospitality industry?
- What health issues are of concern to the clients? Particularly,
what kind of wellness and medical education is needed? Analysis of
obesity as an issue correlated with poverty is requested. Are there
needs for substance abuse assessment, education and
referrals?
- Assist clients with tax preparation. Assess clients’ other
needs for financial advice (for example, do they have bank accounts
or do they pay fees for check cashing?).
- Assess the need for small business micro lending, accounting or
management assistance. Determine the current skill level among
those clients requesting this assistance.
- Provide legal assistance as necessary in the following areas:
immigration, criminal, issues in family law, financial management
and debt counseling. Are there adequate channels of information
available to clients? Are there recurring needs or problems that
could be addressed by setting up materials, referrals or resources?
Suggest questions for further research, propose intermediate
solutions and draft self-help materials.
- Do members of the mother’s groups need counseling about special
education and services offered by the public school system? What
concerns do they express and what sort of support is needed to help
them navigate this system?
- Do clients have access to education, whatever the next step for
them might be? What are the barriers to education and job training?
To what extent is ESL available to those who want to improve their
English language skills?
- Develop a business plan for a new Food Choice pantry (instead
of a pantry with set items to give out, no variety). Identify
suppliers, costs and mechanisms for anticipating and responding to
client needs.
- Develop a business plan that will raise more money for
vegetables and fresh produce cooking training for clients. Identify
the costs of expanding this service, including staffing, program
calendar and outcome measurements.
- Are there ways to make the accounting, reports and audit
preparation of Bread and Life simpler and more useful?