Nicaraguan native and current Camden resident, Fernando, has been a guest of Cathedral Kitchen (CK) for five years now. When he first began coming to CK in 2018, he was unhoused and unemployed, and in search of a hot meal and some support. Last year he connected with CK’s Empowerment Team who aided him in accessing resources he didn’t know existed, such as unemployment benefits, emergency housing, and even retrieving a retirement pension he was owed from a job he held many years ago.
Fernando used some of the pension funds to help family members in crisis but he still needed assistance to achieve stability in his own life. CK’s Empowerment Coach, Hayde Salcedo, helped Fernando obtain a copy of his driver’s license/ identification, secure health insurance, and even apply for employment. Fernando secured a position at Goodwill and has been employed for several months now.
Hayde’s work didn’t stop there, though. Fernando recently inherited a family member’s home in Camden. This provided the shelter that he needed but unfortunately, all of the utilities in the home had been turned off. He was overwhelmed with the process of reinstating accounts that required security deposits and identification. Hayde assisted Fernando in reconnecting the services, negotiating fees at reduced costs, and even some free of charge.
Fernando is now steadily employed and living in that home. He continues to come to CK for meals to help make ends meet and he checks in with Hayde quite often while he works towards gaining stability in his life. Fernando was fortunate he recognized that he needed help and that CK was able to assist with meals and much more. “Cathedral Kitchen means a lot to me,” says Fernando. “I’ve been coming here for the past five years. They’ve helped me a lot. I don’t know where I would be without Cathedral Kitchen in my life.”
