John Tumino

Food on the streets is a big component to building relationships with our friends. Today’s lunch on the street was lasagna, the lasagna is a homemade recipe that I learned from my mother who’s passed it down to me and today we’re bringing it out to the streets to show our friends that they are not invisible. Dignity and Value can be shown to our friends first through the quality of the food we serve them.
One of the amazing things that starts to happen when someone meets us for the very first time is the big smile we get from their surprise of the quality of food given to them. They love to get their lunches but the amazing thing is at one point the lunch become secondary and they look for the true relationship that was established between two people. Food brings people to the table and today’s lasagna brought many individuals to a conversation where true change can happen in someone’s life. Sous chefs with your support will be able to continue to bring out these wonderful lunches to the streets for our friends, those who feel invisible, together we are building hope in changing lives

Many times when our friends get situated from living outdoors to indoors there old spots become abandoned. This location was on the Creekwalk in the heart of Syracuse. There were many calls from community residence regarding this spot that was left unattended, we dispatched our Hire Ground Crew to clean up the area. Our crew on this day were friends who are experiencing homelessness staying in our local shelters. Homelessness is a real thing for many reasons BUT we are doing everything possible to assist our friends on their journey back to a real place they can call Home, home is not under a Bridge!

October is Emotional Wellness Month. When working with our friends outdoors negativity is a big hurdle. Why, because sometimes life can be challenging and they may feel like there is no way out. Maybe you are reading this and feel the same way as our friends outdoors. I’m believing this post will help you achieve a positive mindset. Use these five tips to confidently say goodbye to negativity all month long.

Scripture says “Life is But a Vapor” James 4:14. Life is too short to let negative self-talk creep its way into our lives. We know many of our friends outdoors and you our Sous Chefs are working hard towards individual health goals and we want to encourage you in keeping a positive mindset. Use the tips below to say no to negative self-talk.

1. Unfollow

Yes, we said it. Whether you agree with it or not, social media is ever-present in most of our lives. Chances are you may need to evaluate your feed to make sure the people you follow are influencing or growing you in a positive direction.  Make room for content that leaves you feeling uplifted, spreads good news, makes you smile or laugh, and aligns with your health objectives.

2. Reconnect with Friends

The pandemic has shifted our routines and may have indirectly caused you to isolate yourself from some positive influences in your life.  Take the time to reconnect with those old friends, coworkers, coaches, mentors, or neighbors.  Genuine conversation and human connection can bring happiness to both parties.

3. Get Professional Support

If you find yourself going negative quickly or more often than you’d prefer, it might be time to get some additional support on your side as this could be a sign of anxiety or depression.  Finding a licensed specialist might be a helpful solution.  These trained professionals can help you see things from a different perspective and help you rediscover that optimistic viewpoint.

4. Practice Self-Care

Self-care is an important piece of a healthy lifestyle.  Discover a new hobby to relieve stress. Start a new weekly tradition like a Sunday coffee run.  Restart your exercise routine or create a new one. Make time for a consistent bedtime routine to support healthy sleep.  Take some time to see where you may need to pour some love or attention into your daily life to implement some self-care.

5. Use Words Intentionally

Try replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. Practice daily affirmations out loud.  When your inner critic says “I’ll never run five miles on the treadmill,” replace that thought with “I’m on my way to running five miles because my hard work is paying off.”  Become your biggest cheerleader by spreading positive thoughts in your life.

6. Why Not Try God

Why Not find a Local Church to attend and re-connect with the one who created all Life! Think about praying and going inward Spiritually. Everyone seems to neglect the Spiritual part of man, I believe its the most important. I’ve seen over and over again that when someone gets in tune with God how all the other parts start to fall in place.

The Bottom Line

If you surround yourself with positive messages, activities, support, and people, then you may be more likely to avoid negative self-talk.  Keeping things positive can have a big impact on your mood and overall outlook.  In case you need a reminder, you can do anything you set your mind to.

Wow what a transformation for our dear friend Shane! We have been working with our friend for some time now assisting him in his housing journey. Shane is no longer on the streets, he is staying in one of our men’s shelters here in CNY. During our interactions Dr. Lehmann from House Calls For The Homeless has been providing medical attention to Shane. Shane was expressing some major dental concerns and Doc was able to get him a referral for an evaluation with Dr. Romano a Dentist here in town. The diagnosis was that Shane needed to have the remaining teeth he had extracted and to be fitted with dentures. He teeth were so bad that they were causing secondary health situations. There is a direct connection with bad oral hygiene and health related issues. Well unfortunately Medicaid Insurance would not cover this process, that’s were Dr. Lehmann steps up to the plate. Doc raises private funds for the work that he does and the Board of House Calls For The Homeless approved Docs request and they financed the whole process. When working with our friends we try to knock out every barrier in someone’s journey so that they can feel part of  community again and not feel like outcasts. Shane was so appreciative and said “I Feel Like A Person Again”! Collaboration is a huge key to what we do but also the support of private donors like yourselves is what allowed this opportunity to be come a reality. Thank you Sous Chefs 

John and Leigh Ann  

Received a wonderful message from a friend tonight Hey!
Hey John, just wanted to let you know that I am still in rehab and I have made a few plans which includes long term then a halfway house then supportive living. I talked w Kevin on messenger and he should be talking to you tomorrow about a couple of things that I need. I hope you can help me out with these things, cuz I only grabbed a few things from my spot when I left. I’m not going back to that place because it’s a trigger for me. I left everything there except my sentimental things which I gave to a friend to hold on to and a couple sets of clothes. But since being here I have been reconnected with my 2 daughters that I have not seen nor heard from in a few years. They give me strength and support love and hope. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me. I love you brother. Take care.
This is what its all about Sous Chefs and you make these opportunities possible, thank you. We will support our friend through his journey.
John and Leigh Ann