Project Hope and Home Depot recently donated materials, time and labor to renovate the kitchen facility at our Next Step facility. Read Project Hope’s full blog post here.
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There are 30 men living at Next Step which houses a communal kitchen and living area. According to Holly Hummel, Aesthetic Coordinator at Portland Rescue Mission, “the kitchen was dysfunctional. None of the cabinets worked”. Project Hope was able to help with a donation of kitchen cabinets* for a makeover.
Less than two months later, the new kitchen is up and running and it has helped changed the very environment at Next Step. “Before, meals were prepared downtown and delivered daily. Food is very important to men. They work very hard and they come home at the end of the day and they’re hungry,” explains Holly, “and now, they have a functioning, commercial kitchen. Because of this upgrade, we are now able to cook on-site to provide fresh, nutritious meals.”
Having a kitchen has launched a few other changes at Next Step. Residents have started a compost pile and are planning their communal garden. They’ve taken an active interest in their home. Recently, they’ve buffed the floors in the building and painted the laundry room and want to continue upgrading. Over all, the atmosphere is more home-like.
