It’s not news to any of us that life is expensive right now. Grocery prices are up. Gas prices are up. Rent and utility costs continue to climb. We’ve felt those pressures here at Cathedral Kitchen, and we know many of you have felt them at home as well.
At the same time, wages are not keeping pace with rising costs, and thousands of our neighbors who rely on benefits like SNAP and Medicaid are losing critical support. As more families are forced to make impossible choices between paying for housing, food, healthcare, and other necessities, homelessness continues to rise in Camden and across the country.
Yet through it all, Cathedral Kitchen remains committed to the mission we set 50 years ago: helping people overcome food insecurity while supporting their pursuit of stability and prosperity.
And amid these challenges, we continue to celebrate meaningful victories.
You may remember William Baynard, who was featured in our 2025 Annual Report. The now 67-year-old veteran has been working with Empowerment Coach Hayde for the past year. In our last update, William shared how Hayde helped him apply for SNAP benefits, obtain new identification documents, and access Social Security benefits. But Hayde knew her work wasn’t finished until William had a place to call home.
“Hayde has been there for me every step of the way since I finally asked for help,” William said. “I couldn’t be more grateful.”
At the time of our last update, William was still living on the streets. He had experienced housing insecurity for nearly a decade before connecting with Hayde and Cathedral Kitchen.
On June 6, that changed.
Hayde and William’s application for a public housing unit at Kennedy Tower was accepted and William moved into his own apartment.
Through a partnership with Catholic Charities, which provided funding for his security deposit, and our help furnishing his apartment, William was finally able to unlock the door to a place of his own. Now, he looks forward to settling in, making the space his own, and enjoying some of the simple comforts that come with living on his own.
After spending so long living on the streets, the transition has taken some adjustment. Without the constant need to protect his belongings or worry about his safety, William said that his biggest concern now is having too much free time.
“I’ve been a lot more comfortable and a lot happier since moving in,” he said. “Now I just have to find things to do. I think I’ll probably spend a lot of time playing solitaire.”
He has already noticed that he is sleeping better and feels safer than he has in years.
And because his new apartment is just a short walk from Cathedral Kitchen, William still stops by during meal service to visit friends, and grab a bite to eat.
For William, this is a year of hope and transformation. His story is a reminder that even in challenging times, we can still change lives.
