“This is the main place where I get my nutrition now,” – Lindewe
Lindewe, a Registered Dietitian, used to visit the Soup Kitchen when she had trouble finding employment. For her, good nutrition has always been the key to sustaining her strength. “I stay in a shelter,” she said. “And there’s not always the healthy food there that I know I can find here.”
A native of Texas, the 56 year old came to New York in her twenties, when she began a decades-long career with a large health services company. But then, in her early fifties, Lindewe was laid off during a company-wide re-organization. As the months first turned to years without finding permanent employment or benefits, she turned to her cousins for a place to stay, and where she could pitch in and share expenses. Sadly, though, as New York became more expensive, her family could no longer afford to stay in the city and decided to relocate. “They all moved to Florida,” she explained. “It’s less expensive there.’
Lindewe, however, was determined to stay in the city she’s called home for most of her adult life. Priced out of the rental market, she found a womens’ homeless shelter she could stay at while she has continued to apply for positions in her field, and pick up temporary work along the way. “I have faith that something full time is going to come along. I just have to keep trying.”
As a professional in the health and nutrition field, Lindewe knew that to keep her strength up she would have to keep her diet filled with the kind of nutrition not always available at her shelter. “They serve a lot of filling foods, but it’s things like macaroni and cheese,” she said. Lindewe, who is also vegetarian, knew right away she would have to find meals that would sustain her. Searching online for alternatives, she found Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen and noted its commitment to U.S.D.A. guidelines, food sustainability and how we source fruits and vegetables from New York state farms for every meal.
“This is the main place where I get my nutrition now,” she said. “The food is fresh, healthy and nutritious.”
That’s high praise, considering Lindewe’s professional background!
