In My Father’s Kitchen :: Street Outreach

Snack of the Day

Street Outreach

In My Father’s Kitchen Street Outreach assists chronically homeless individuals who live on the streets of Syracuse and have a disability that prevents them from adequately caring for themselves. The disabilities of these individuals include substance abuse, mental illness, chronic illness and/or physical disabilities that make them vulnerable to crime, disease, hunger and hopelessness.

Street Outreach Care Managers along with a physician from Upstate University Hospital travel throughout Syracuse twice-weekly bringing food and emergency supplies to individuals who live in abandoned buildings, hidden encampments and secluded areas under bridges and overpasses. They connect with homeless individuals, distributing food, bottled water, blankets, toiletries, clothing and medical attention when needed.

As we build relationships, trust is established, which allows us to guide the chronically homeless population to accept assistance. This support can provide transportation to, and help with, homeless assistance programs and/or mainstream social services and housing programs. In My Father’s Kitchen collaborates regularly with the Housing and Homeless Coalition’s coordinated entry housing list to help individuals locate permanent housing as quickly as possible. We continue to support these individuals and encourage them to remain in housing.

Building relationships with chronically homeless …

As the IMFK Street Outreach Team build relationships with chronically homeless individuals they identify and meet the unique needs of homeless people not yet ready to leave the streets and who refuse to stay in emergency shelters. As a result, IMFK provides food and basic necessitates to homeless individuals where they live on the streets, on a consistent and compassionate basis, until the homeless individual is comfortable accepting help and working with community agencies to secure housing.

Together we are building hope and changing lives.