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WE as the Asbury Cafe believe in two things:
All of the proceeds of the Asbury Cafe go to organizations within the local community of Albuquerque. The Asbury Cafe now donates around $40,000 each year to these groups. We evaluate each organization yearly to ensure that our efforts are well placed. Our simple actions touch innumerable lives. Your purchase, contribution of a pie, or time to serve, makes a difference for many people in the Albuquerque area.
This year's beneficiaries include each of the following. With our support of these organizations we hope to bring their needs and services into the "public eye". Feel free to contact them to learn how you can get involved.
The Albuquerque Rescue Mission serves three meals daily to the homeless. In Albuquerque since 1954, they provide housing and counseling for men, who have no other resources, and care packages for stranded families. The mission averages approximately 14,500 lodgings to 1300 individuals, serve 70,000 meals, and distribute approximately 5000 articles of clothing and 500 food baskets yearly. They receive no funding from the government or United Way - 90% of their donations come from private individuals.
Project Share provides meals five evenings per week to the men, women, and children who go there. Located on Yale near the airport, Project Share serves from 100 to 160 people each night. Meals are provided, prepared, and served by individual volunteers or groups from many different organizations. They also operate a number of other outreach programs including Project Share Delivers, where volunteers take food boxes to those unable to come to Project Share and the PS Mail & Operation Hope programs that provide temporary phone and mail services to those seeking jobs.
St. Martin's Hospitality Center was established in 1975 by eight Episcopal churches to minister to the homeless. Their mission statement reads: "To serve homeless and near-homeless people by providing resources, opportunities and hope." One meal is prepared per day serving about 278 homeless men, women and children. They assist in other areas including shelter, child care, jobs, mental/behavioral health and supportive housing. They provide a meal, place to receive mail, a shower and storage. St. Martin's offers day shelter and associated services, jobs placement and training, behavioral health (including substance abuse) and supportive housing programs.
The Storehouse distributes free clothing housewares, and low-cost furnishings to families in need. They provide food and rental assistance and have a job-readiness program to help people in need find full-time employment. The Storehouse will provide an estimated $2,000,000 to the community in 2002.
The Downtown Meals Programs serve lunchtime meals to hundreds of homeless in Albuquerque's downtown area. First Baptist Church (through Noon Day Ministries) and First United Methodist Church work cooperatively to serve meals on alternate weekdays. Neither church directly funds these programs out of their operating budgets, but do provide facilities, staff, and volunteers to make the programs happen. They rely on private donations for all operating expenses.
Albuquerque Meals On Wheels program provides meals to elderly and low income people throughout the Albuquerque community. The program serves 90,000 meals per year of which 25,000 are provided free to recipients, funded by receipts from the remaining meals. Approximately 78% of the meals involve special diets. The Albuquerque Meals On Wheels program operates with a staff of 5 - dietitian-director, cook, kitchen manager, and dishwasher - and the help of over 100 daily volunteers. Their goal is to provide individuals in need with at least one hot meal and personal contact on a daily basis.
Since 1972 the program has had its meals prepared by local health care organizations, but earlier this year the primary organization decided to no longer prepare the meals. Presbyterian Hospital has donated a partially furnished kitchen but the group faces over $85,000 in unexpected costs for establishing their own kitchen and staff. This year the cafe will make a one-time donation to this organization to help with "start-up costs". The program normally operates solely on meal revenues.
Thank you for supporting the Asbury Cafe!