It started with a sandwich

Holidays shine a light on the work of serving the homeless in Syracuse

By Eileen Jevis
Staff writer

It’s the time of year when many of us get too much to eat. Cozy meals amidst Christmas surroundings hopefully happen in your home, but to those who do not have a roof over their head or a dining table to sit at, the holidays add an extra dose of sadness to an already difficult existence.

Welcome to “In My Father’s Kitchen” where efforts to feed those in need happen all year long.

John and Leigh-Ann Tumino have been serving and supporting the homeless population in Syracuse for 23 years. What began with offering a homeless person a sandwich, has become an organization that provides critical services to those in need.

John said when he was exiting the Route 81 off-ramp to Bear Street that day long ago, he saw a gentleman holding a cardboard sign. “I heard the Holy Spirit tell me, ‘You know he thinks he’s invisible and I see him. I want you to feed him.’ So, I went to Wegmans and bought a sandwich, water and cookies and took them back to the man who was still standing there.”

John said when he exited the vehicle, his hands were sweating, and his heart was pounding. But instead of just driving by, he got out of the car and went over and introduced himself. “Hi, My name is John. What’s your name?”

“My name is Tim.,” he replied. Tumino gave the starving man the food and for the next 20 minutes, listened to him tell of the horrific and traumatic childhood experiences that caused him to become addicted and homeless. “I want you to know that you’re not invisible,” said Tumino. “The Lord sees you and I see you. The Lord wanted me to feed you.”

It was that encounter that prompted the Tuminos, who are ordained clergy, to change the course of their lives. “I went home and said to Leigh-Ann, ‘I know what we are supposed to do to answer God’s call. Find these individuals, tell them they are not invisible and feed them.’”

That’s how In My Father’s Kitchen was born. The next week, the Tuminos began preparing meals and delivering them to the homeless population in the area.

“When we started doing this work, we didn’t realize the extent of what the Lord was getting us into,” said John. “We thought we were just going to be feeding folks. And then we find it’s not just feeding them but clothing them and getting folks connected with the services they need. A sandwich opened the door to finding out people were living in abandoned houses, under bridges and in tents in the woods.”

In My Father’s Kitchen now has three arms to its faith-based nonprofit organization. Street Outreach aids chronically homeless individuals who live on the streets of Syracuse and have a disability that prevents them from adequately caring for themselves.

Hire Ground is a collaborative partnership with Onondaga County that gives panhandlers and the unemployed homeless in Syracuse and Onondaga County an opportunity to change their lives by offering work experience through day labor and connections to support services.

Life House provides a safe, comfortable home for women who are victims of human trafficking. In My Father’s Kitchen works with professionals, community-service agencies and Human Trafficking Courts to help women make lasting changes in their lives.

In the January 18th issue of the Sun, we will talk about the changing demographic of the homeless population in our area, the alarming increase in local human trafficking and the number of homeless people who die on the streets. We will also share the success story of Kevin Batsford, who was formerly homeless, and his wish for Christmas.