Six Things I Didn't Know About the Damiano Center in Duluth

I've known for quite some time about the existence of the Damiano Center in Duluth's Central Hillside neighborhood. I knew they helped feed and provide clothing for the needy. I knew they had a program called Kids Kitchen, even though I didn't know precisely what it did. I knew that what they were doing had value, but had know idea of the breadth of their mission and its achievements.

After visiting this week with Development Director Katherine Mueller and Children's Program Manager Ashley Grimm, I discovered that the services of this non-profit organization were far more extensive than I could have imagined. Damiano Center is a beehive of activity with a whole range of well-conceived programs serving the community in thoughtful, holistic ways. Here are some of the things I learned.

The Center's friendly volunteer servers.

1. 116,778 meals served in the Community Kitchen
For most people, the Community Kitchen is the entry point into a relationship with the Damiano Center and its network of services. I learned this week that the Community Kitchen serves more meals to the needy than any other place in Minnesota North of the Twin Cities. What's great about this is that by coming in for a meal, many down-and-out folks soon discover that the Center provides more than just food to needy families.

2. 225,093 items given away at the Free Store
I'd already known they had clothing items there. If you visit you will see shelves with shoes, rooms with blouses, shirts, and jackets hanging. What did didn't know is that there is a conscious effort made to help job hunting folk find just the right clothes for upcoming job interviews. It's a program called Clothes That Work. As you know, you only have one opportunity to make a first impression. Clothes That Work assists the down-and-out to help them get back in the game. No sport coat? No problem.  Suitable clothing is loaned to help people get the job and more clothes are provided to help them keep the job if they are successful. 930 people were helped by this program last year.

3. Taking Care of Hygiene Needs
Many people are in need of basic hygiene items that most of us take for granted. Damiano Center has been helping many people for years with these basic needs.

4. Health Realization Begins with a Change of Mind
Many people in need of Damiano Center services have simply fallen into a temporary rough patch in their lives. The longer one is unemployed or without a place to call home or burdened with a crushing debt load, the more it grinds on one's sense of self-worth. This loss of self-esteem undercuts efforts to successfully do what it takes to get back in the stream of things. For this reason the Damiano Center has a Health Realization program that helps people change the way they think about their problems. 55% of the people who used this program believe it helped them last year.

$1,000 worth of children's books were donated by Zenith Bookstore

5. The Kids Kitchen Does More Than Just Feed Young People
To be honest, it was never clear to me what the Kids Kitchen was all about. I was first made aware of the space at a Twin Ports Social Media Breakfast two or three years ago. I also knew that my wife Susie has been active in the program as a volunteer. (Susie has been making Lego crayons and other cool designs to raise money for the program this past year.) It's a "safe space" for kids after school and serves children of all ages, not just elementary school kids, though children 5 and under need to be accompanied by an adult.

Kids Kitchen is more than food. It's a fun, safe place for all kinds of activities.

The Kids Kitchen program is so rich and multi-faceted I will need to write a separate blog post to properly show its features. One new thing I learned, though, is that it isn't just for kids in the neighborhood within walking distance. Kid's Kitchen is for kids from any part of town who can get a ride here and home again. A full one-third come from further than walking distance, and there are some children here who say that if the Kids Kitchen did not exist, they would go hungry.

6. More Than 900 Guests Helped with Transportation
Damiano Center also has a Community Services program, which assists people with transportation needs.

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As I stated in the beginning there were a few things I'd already known about the Damiano Center. One of these is the friendliness of the staff and the volunteers. Though the mission of the Center is serious, there seems to be an uplifting spirit in the place that has a balm-like effect on your own spirit.

The volunteers seem amazing, putting in more than 9000 hours of service between the Community Kitchen and the Free Store. Maybe you, too, have been looking for a way to contribute to something important that is helping make a difference. I didn't ask, but suspect that more volunteers are always welcome. And since the entire operation is funded by contributions, you may decide that this is another way you can give back to our community in a meaningful way.

Here's the Damiano Center Website, and a place where you can Donate. And if you're ever hungry and have no place to go... well, the food is not only nutritious, it's tasty.