Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry director Kimberly Caisse seeks to engage community

CHICOPEE — One particular 7 days into the work, the new govt director of Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen area and Pantry, Kimberly Caisse, was eyeing modern methods to engage the local community, offer entry to wholesome foods and eradicate the stigma related with hunger.

Caisse’s vision to eradicate the stigma contains making a place that feels heat and inviting.

“We want it to be thoroughly clean and shiny, it’s possible have some audio and have the foods on screen, so it feels like a store atmosphere,” she reported.

To continue on the legacy of the late Lorraine Houle, the to start with director, Caisse wishes to get out into the community to convey awareness to the lots of styles of people that might be experiencing foods insecurity.

In accordance to Caisse, foods insecurity may well not always glimpse like a homeless guy on the corner it may well be a single father or mother, a suburban household, an aged man or woman.

By performing with board users and partners, she plans to retain shelves entire and fresh new, upgrade the eating area and deliver far more outreach at group gatherings and social media.

“At some position, everyone may well have to have a hand,” Caisse stated. “It is much more common than not, and with rising financial inflation, there should really not be stigma or disgrace … that it is okay and we are here for them for the reason that no a single must go hungry.”

Lorraine’s at 170 Pendexter Ave. has served the community by way of its soup kitchen and pantry for far more than 30 yrs. Its kitchen area serves scorching foods weekdays, from 4 to 6 p.m., and the pantry is open to everybody with no unique qualifications or profits tips on weekdays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Caisse succeeds Ruben Reyes as administrator of the nonprofit kitchen and pantry.

“We are thrilled to have Kim bring her expertise and her vitality to Lorraine’s, and to assist us improve our outreach to the neighborhood,” explained Al Picard, co-president of the kitchen’s board of directors

Caisse is a former behavioral paraprofessional with the Chicopee General public Universities and administrator at Multi-Cultural Neighborhood Products and services.

Aiding with fundraisers, holding auctions and serving on the golf committee, Caisse’s roots with the Chicopee pantry go way back.

“I begun to volunteer in the kitchen and started to satisfy the females on the board,” she mentioned. “I was doing the job at the school division when the place grew to become accessible and I just understood it was the suitable time to have on the mission.”

Her lengthy-time period help and volunteer perform has also brought a distinctive energy to the staff, said Donna Marratta, board co-president.

“Kim’s organizational skills, her outgoing individuality and her passion for serving to men and women will convey a new electricity to Lorraine’s, and we seem forward to observing where by the organization goes in the future five a long time,” Marratta claimed.