Our Father's House Soup Kitchen
Encyclopedia
The Our Father's House Soup Kitchen is a non-denominational Christian
ministry and soup kitchen
in Pompano Beach, Florida
. It was established in 1992 by Points of Light Award
winner Jimmy Rotonno who claimed he had a spiritual experience of Jesus
who asked him to "Feed my people". In 1999 the Kitchen was awarded a $100,000 grant from United Parcel Service
which was used to purchase commercial kitchen equipment. In 2003, it was estimated that the Kitchen served over 42,000 meals with the help of about 20 volunteers. Our Father's House is a tax exempt, IRS approved charitable organization located in a poor neighborhood in Pompano Beach known as "The Hole". The Kitchen is staffed with both paid employees and unpaid volunteers. It has a five member board of directors. Co-founder Phyllis Rotonno is the executive director.
that enabled the Kitchen to buy commercial restaurant equipment. Governor Jeb Bush honored Jimmy Rotonno for his work at the Soup Kitchen by awarding him the Points of Light Award in August 2003. Bush established the Points of Light program in 2000 to recognize an "exemplary volunteer, organization, or person". A year later, Rotonno arrived at the Soup Kitchen for work. One of the volunteers noticed he was sick and insisted he go the hospital; he died two days later. Phyllis Rotonno continues her work at the Kitchen and presently serves as its director.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
ministry and soup kitchen
Soup kitchen
A soup kitchen, a bread line, or a meal center is a place where food is offered to the hungry for free or at a reasonably low price. Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoods, they are often staffed by volunteer organizations, such as church groups or community groups...
in Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 99,845...
. It was established in 1992 by Points of Light Award
Thousand points of light
The Thousand points of light was a recurring phrase in speeches given by George H. W. Bush. The term was coined by speechwriter Peggy Noonan. In his inaugural address on January 20, 1989, Bush said:...
winner Jimmy Rotonno who claimed he had a spiritual experience of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
who asked him to "Feed my people". In 1999 the Kitchen was awarded a $100,000 grant from United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
which was used to purchase commercial kitchen equipment. In 2003, it was estimated that the Kitchen served over 42,000 meals with the help of about 20 volunteers. Our Father's House is a tax exempt, IRS approved charitable organization located in a poor neighborhood in Pompano Beach known as "The Hole". The Kitchen is staffed with both paid employees and unpaid volunteers. It has a five member board of directors. Co-founder Phyllis Rotonno is the executive director.
History
Jimmy Rotonno, World War II veteran and entrepreneur, established the Our Father's House Soup Kitchen in 1992 with the help of his wife, Phyllis, after they met with some homeless people through their church. He stated that "I didn't like those people; they didn't like me". A short time later he said he had a vision of Jesus who asked him to "Feed my people." Raising money through cold calling of churches and individuals he found while reading the "society pages", the Kitchen gradually took shape. When thieves stole all of the food in 1995, several community charities and businesses came to help. In 1999, the Kitchen won a $100,000 grant from United Parcel ServiceUnited Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
that enabled the Kitchen to buy commercial restaurant equipment. Governor Jeb Bush honored Jimmy Rotonno for his work at the Soup Kitchen by awarding him the Points of Light Award in August 2003. Bush established the Points of Light program in 2000 to recognize an "exemplary volunteer, organization, or person". A year later, Rotonno arrived at the Soup Kitchen for work. One of the volunteers noticed he was sick and insisted he go the hospital; he died two days later. Phyllis Rotonno continues her work at the Kitchen and presently serves as its director.