On Saturday, February 6^th, the Order of Malta Monterey Location members prepared delicious “to go” hot meals and bag lunches, with all the extras, at Dorothy’s Kitchen, serving 200 residents of the Chinatown homeless encampment in Salinas.

Dorothy’s Place, named after Servant of God Dorothy Day, began in 1982, when a small group of Catholic Worker volunteers distributed 65 egg salad sandwiches, out of the trunk of their car, on Soledad Street in Salinas. Since that time, Dorothy’s Place has expanded to include a free health clinic for the poor, and a walk-in emergency shelter for street women.  It also created a successful community of formerly broken and abandoned lives, now living together in mutual support at the House of Peace.

The Order of Malta’s work at this charity impacts the members as much as it affects the needy. Reflecting on this powerful idea, Paul Hoffman, KM said,

I am always impressed by how articulate, clean, and GRATEFUL our homeless brothers and sisters are. They too are God’s children who happen to be down on their luck. It is so rewarding to be able to provide them with friendship, joy, hope, and nourishment. Hopefully, as we grow, we will be able to go there more often.”

Assisting at charities has been difficult with the many restrictions due to the COVID outbreak, and the Monterey Knights and Dames are overjoyed to serve at Dorothy’s Kitchen once again, on the first Saturday of every other month.

Ed Gamboa, KM feels that God filled the void for the needy, while members of the Order were unable to help. He said, “At the outset of the pandemic, there was concern that this exposed population would be the most vulnerable to the coronavirus. Surprisingly, (by Divine providence) not a single case of Covid has been detected to date at Dorothy’s.”

The Monterey Knights and Dames are excited to continue serving the poor and the sick in their county.