“I was on the verge of really crashing out, Kinship literally saved my life. Now, I have a career as a carpenter. I’m steady growing and providing for my family.”

“None of us get to choose the life we were born into, but we all can choose to be with each other.”

“Kinship is a community family where everyone is accepted and welcome, no matter where you are in life!”

“It’s funny how this place that has to do with food has really become like a second home for me.”

“Yes, I come for the food, but I really love coming here to meet new people and be with my friends.”

“We embrace and promote Kinship’s philosophy of both giving and receiving with sincerity and generosity.”

“Kinship has helped with rides, getting me to the hospital, helping me with my kids, getting them to their appointments, it’s just outstanding.”

“Really knowing who my neighbor is has deeply impacted my life...”

“I love people today more than I used to. I love me today more than I used to.”

“It’s a real privilege that people trust me to open up about their health concerns.”

“Kinship is not only for food, but is for physical, mental, and spiritual needs.”

“Kinship gave me hope, gratitude, and the strength to keep going on.”

“I receive so much more. I receive this wonderful sense of belonging. Truly it is very, very important.”

“We’re thinking the same out of our hearts, not our heads.”

“You guys don’t understand what you’re giving people when you give them the opportunity to volunteer.”

“I had nothing. I was afraid I was going to get kicked out of my apartment or starve to death. At Kinship, everybody here was all-hands-on deck for me.”

“I’ve gotten so much help. That’s why I want to be part of this, because this is a way I can give back.”

“You get to know people over time and just as with a family you share ups and downs, joys and sorrows.”

"It's very beautiful to see how the community gathers here. This is my community now.”

“As a community, we should take better care of each other.”

“There is something intangible, but tangible, that is here. It's a spirit thing-- it's a human to human connection.”

“Whether I’m volunteering or shopping, it’s fun being around the people here!”

“I come to this place and feel like I am surrounded by people that are like family.”

“Sharing my love with others reminds me that I’m wanted.”

“Sometimes you just need somebody to believe in you, no matter what you’ve been through.”

“Being here has reshaped how I view the world.  It has opened my eyes to food insecurity and poverty in my neighborhood.”

“You begin to realize that by giving your life to others, you actually become more alive.”

“It’s been wonderful to help serve my neighborhood in some way.”

“We are not coming to just get food, we are coming to spend time with the friends that feel like family.”

“The women who have volunteered regularly with me have become very close and I can't see myself volunteering without them.”