John Tumino

We are excited to share about a new partnership in the selling of our Maple Syrup! Big shout out to Sacred Melody on James Street in Syracuse for believing in the Mission of IMFK. Thank you for bringing awareness to our work by carrying our products,
Taste and See

“I see the good the bad and the ugly. I know what really happens, I’m in the building I see the craziness and what happens,” said Tumino.

Tumino calls his clients friends, and he helps them get clean after battles with addiction and homelessness.

Some have lived at Skyline, and while he helps to make the connection to housing, there are companies that take over once a client has been placed.

It all starts with a lunch, these lunches are a POWERFUL tool in our hands. Todays menu was NY Strip with a loaded Baked Potato! This lunch does not just fill the belly of our friends it actually opens dialogue into great conversations. When I was in the food service industry a lunch like this would sell for $24.95, now for our friends its FREE! The comment we usually get when we present a lunch like this is “are you for real a NY Strip”? The answer is yes of course YOU are WORTH it! The amazing thing that happens over time is that the lunches become secondary and the relationships that the lunches allow to happen become the primary thing our friends are looking for. Who would have thought that a Chef with a Talent to cook would now be using this gift to feed friends that are homeless on the streets. Because of your continual support of our Mission we are able to continue BUILDING HOPE and CHANGING LIVES! Just think a lunch Changing a Life, its possible Because of YOU, thank you!

What a Great Day to be able to connect one of our Hire Ground participants to employment. We met Bruce when he was homeless living in one of our major shelters in CNY. Every Wednesday we pick up participants who live in the shelters of CNY. Each shelter has a point person who assigns participants who are willing and eager to work. Well Bruce was one of those candidates who needed a Hand Up. One of IMFK’s Hire Ground missions is to get folks who are ready and willing to work connected to employers in our community who are willing to give folks a second chance at life, one of those employers is Peace Inc. I met Sally Ward (Director of Energy and Housing) while doing a delivery  an IMFK gift basket during the holidays. Sally spoke to me on her front stoop and said if we had any participants ready to work that she would be willing to set up an interview. One requirement needed would be to have a valid drivers license. I reached out to JD one of our Care Managers to ask if we had anyone who has made the turn away from addiction and was ready to re-enter the work force. JD mention Bruce but his only stumbling block was that he needed to reinstate his license and that it would have to be transferred to NY from Fl. JD was able to assist Bruce by navigating the DMV site and finding out what needed to be done. Bruce needed to take a 6 hour defensive driving course pay some fees and he would be all set. The problem is we were in the middle of a pandemic but we made it happen. JD got Bruce down to IMFK had him sit at his computer and do the 6 hour work. Bruce went to his interview and was offered employment. Bruce now needed tools for the job so JD went with Bruce to purchase all the tools he needed so that Bruce could be successful at his new JOB! I am excited to say that Bruce is now living in his own place has his license back and is working a full time job. Thank you Sally and Peace Inc. in believing in 2nd chances and showing Bruce he was not Invisible. Thank you to YOU our SUPPORTERS for your financial gifts. With out you we would not be able to do these out of the box scenarios, together we are Building Hope and CHANGING LIVES!

Its a Hand Up not a Hand Out

We met our dear friend in May of 2019 homeless living on the streets and addicted. We were able to connect him into housing the end of 2020 but unfortunately he did not want to deal with his addiction. We were able to connect him to drug court so that he could work a program and upon completion all charges would be dropped. Unfortunately our friend did not complete the program and was picked up for violation of drug court rules. Addiction is real life tough stuff to deal with but one of the things we have learned at IMFK is that we can not want sobriety more than our friends. They must want change and white knuckling or avoiding it will not change the situation. For our dear friend now is the time to face his demons while he serves a 2 year sentence. In the letter he writes that he is on meds to assist him with his heroine addiction and he also has started taking some meds for his mental health issues. When our friends go into incarceration or long term rehabs we make sure we correspond with them continually so that when they come back into society we can continue the work of assisting them in their needs. We continual write them and encourage them through the Good the Bad and the Ugly. Together Sous Chefs we are Building Hope and Changing Lives. If you would like to drop a note of encouragement to our friend please mail them to 

IMFK, PO BOX 11328 Syracuse NY 13218

John