South Side Mission Culinary Arts School -- September 24, 2009

Our visit to the South Side Mission, otherwise referred to as the "Lighthouse on Laramie," opened our eyes to the plight of the poor, downtrodden, and homeless in Peoria.

During our visit, we received an in-depth tour of the building, enjoyed a gourmet lunch by the culinary arts students on site, and learned a great deal about the Mission's services and impact on the 61605 zip code.

Executive Director Phil Newton told us the Mission provides hope, hot meals, and sanctuary to more than 15,000 people annually. It coordinates more than 40 programs for Peoria's poorest residents, including two new elderly services that arose in response to the large number of elderly poor in need of social services.

The mission relies solely on grants and donations; it does not receive government funding and is not a United Way agency. The ministry owns all of its facilities outright, and was named as a top-ten ministry in America in the August 23 issue of World Magazine.

The Culinary Arts Training School, led by Chef Chris Franzoni, was founded in 2008 to help unemployed men and women train for careers in the hospitality industry. OLLI members dined on lunch made by these students, and had an opportunity to meet the fledgling chefs.

OLLI would like to thank Meg Newell for providing an informative, intriguing, and eye-opening tour of the South Side Mission. For more information, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please visit the Mission's website.