The Kitchen was founded in 1983 when Franciscan Sister Lorraine Biebel came to Springfield and began serving one hot meal a day in a borrowed school cafeteria. Over the past 13 years The Kitchen has evolved into a comprehensive, fully integrated nonprofit corporation to meet the total needs of the disadvantaged. The Kitchen, Inc. as a ministry rooted in the mission of Jesus and the healing ministry of The Church, is dedicated to meeting needs of displaced persons by providing nutritional services, housing opportunities, health care services, educational programs, counseling services, job skills training, family support services, and spiritual nurturing. We attempt to reveal Jesus wherever we are. The charism of healing and wholeness is a dynamic force in the services offered by The Kitchen.
All human life is sacred.
It is a gift from God and is treasured from its inception to its end. Persons have the right of self-determination to direct their lives toward their personal goals, as long as these rights do not infringe on those of others. All persons deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Moralistic judgments have no place in our relationships with others. All resources are a gift and are to be used in a responsible manner.