News & Media

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I am thrilled to share with you the heartwarming experience we had at Roxboro Road Elementary School. Our visit was nothing short of magical, as we had the honor of meeting a group of bright and enthusiastic young minds, our “Rising Rock Stars.” Their attentiveness and interaction surpassed all expectations, making our mission to inspire even more fulfilling.

Our presentation on the mission of IMFK resonated deeply with the students. They were not just passive listeners; they were active participants, eager to understand how they could contribute to making a positive impact in their community. It’s moments like these that reinforce our belief in the power of the younger generation. When a young person decides to look beyond themselves and extend a helping hand to others, that’s when real change begins to take root.

The highlight of the day was witnessing the students’ commitment to assembling goody bags for IMFK. Their dedication is a testament to the idea that everyone, regardless of age, can be the hands that reach out and touch the lives of others in need. We are incredibly proud of these young individuals who are already moving mountains with their vision and compassion.

A special shout-out goes to Ms. Katie and the entire staff at Roxboro Road Elementary School. Your dedication to nurturing these children’s sense of importance and ability to make a difference is truly commendable. Together, we are not just teaching them about the world; we are showing them how they can change it.

Thank you all for your unwavering support and for believing in our mission. Let’s continue to inspire and be inspired, for the ripple effect of today’s actions will shape the world of tomorrow.

With heartfelt gratitude,
John and Leigh Ann

Dear Taste and See Family,

We are thrilled to announce a delightful addition to our community! Let’s extend a warm welcome to our new purveyor Thanos Import Market, joining the Taste and See family with open arms. It’s always a joy when local businesses unite with us, fostering awareness for the impactful work we do right here in central New York.

Our corporate teammates play a pivotal role, contributing essential finances that empower us to serve those on the streets who often feel overlooked. Their support is invaluable, and we are incredibly grateful for their partnership.

Next time you’re nearby, please take a moment to stop by and greet Soula, the owner. Let’s show our appreciation and thank her for being an integral part of our team!

Thanos Import Market
105 Green Street
Syracuse NY 13203

Since November 2022, when we launched Life House and welcomed our first resident, we have been witnessing our vision become a reality. It was a remarkable experience to see the impact of our work.

Life House provides four stages of healing and growth, Reset, Restore, Rebuild, and Relaunch, for each resident to progress at their own speed. The journey to health and wholeness is not immediate, but rather a personal journey, requiring a safe place to process and time to self-reflect.

We are proud of our current resident who has been working to adapt and reset her life. Our excellent Advocacy Team has been working to assist her in each new challenge and celebrate with her every personal achievement. Our staff is helping her right now with getting medically stable as well as working with her and a dentist to get her teeth fixed. She is learning how to communicate and live in a family environment.

Our resident is facing a challenging journey of healing and growth in the coming months. She will have to confront her past, examine her beliefs, and reconnect with her feelings. We are proud of her courage and determination to transform her life. She is willing to do the hard work that is required for change.

We are grateful to our Sous Chefs for their generous donations that enable us to offer safety, peace, and support to our residents. You are the ones who make this amazing work possible with your ongoing contributions.

We escaped like a bird from the hunter’s trap, the trap is broken, and we are free.

(Psalm 124:7)

Life House is a branch of the non-profit, In My Father’s Kitchen. We work with courts and law enforcement to provide a residential program for women 21 and older who have experienced the trauma of human trafficking. Our program helps them heal from their trauma and rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. We depend on the generosity of people like you to sustain our vital work and provide quality care to our residents. By becoming a monthly supporter, you can help us make a lasting difference in the lives of victims of human trafficking.

Please click the link below to join our community of compassionate donors and see the impact of your gift. Thank you for your kindness and support.

It’s not unusual to see scruffy-looking people holding cardboard signs asking for help when driving around Syracuse. And few people take the time to hear the stories behind those cardboard messages. One person who does is John Tumino, 51, a chef and founder of In My Father’s Kitchen (IMFK), a nonprofit outreach program that helps homeless people in Syracuse.

“Food brings people to the table,” says Tumino. “No matter what culture you’re from or what country you’re from, everyone eats food. Food lets you communicate with your family and your friends. Food is a barrier breaker.”

Tumino uses food to break the barriers and help them restart their lives. Since 2011, he has helped 53 homeless people off the streets permanently, and today, he’s still helping through IMFK with growing numbers of supporters.

Tumino is the first generation of his family in the United States. His father moved from Italy to Argentina after World War II where he met his mother. The couple decided to emigrate in 1963 in hopes of better lives. Not knowing English or American culture did not stop them from working hard and took them to where they are now – the proud owners of Asti Caffe on North Salina Street. When Tumino was younger, he was often teased about the way his parents spoke. He grew up in a house where different languages flew around and different food was cooked and eaten. His friends would often come to try the unfamiliar meals.

After finishing his education at Fowler High School, Tumino took a job in the kitchen of a McDonald’s for a couple of years before moving on to work at a Chrysler factory. In 1987, his family opened Tumino’s Pizzeria, but by 1995 the family had sold the business and Tumino worked as a legal courier for five years. In 2002, his family started another Italian restaurant, Asti Caffe, where he worked as a chef. It was in that kitchen where it all began.

“In summer 2009, I was at the restaurant getting ready for the morning, during my prayer time, and I heard the words come into my heart ‘In my father’s kitchen,’” Tumino says. “It just felt in my heart that we would fill the belly of a man by serving food and clothing for people. I felt it was time to leave the restaurant. That was 18 months from hearing that calling until I stepped out of the family’s business.”

This was not the first time Tumino says he heard from Jesus. In his younger years, he says, he was a gambling and sex addict. It was when he was 28 years old that he had his first encounter with Jesus. He started his journey as a Christian and his faith in God delivered him from his past. One brother was a heroin addict; another brother sold drugs and went to prison. Both of their lives have since turned around due to their faith in God. From these experiences, Tumino learned that everyone has a story; everyone struggles. But there is also hope. “There’s always an opportunity to change,” Tumino says. “Will you take the opportunity, go where you’ve never gone, do what you’ve never done?”

He and his wife, Leigh Ann, are ordained ministers and once thought of becoming missionaries in Costa Rica. They each went to Costa Rica, on different trips, and a third time as a family, taking their daughter with them. They didn’t feel the click. When they got back to Syracuse they wondered what their next step would be. It was then, as they drove out of the Destiny USA mall on Bear Street, a homeless man holding a cardboard sign got Tumino’s attention. Tumino realized the car in front of them wasn’t paying attention; he looked at the car behind and they weren’t looking either. “I heard these words coming, ‘This guy feels he’s invisible and I want you to go and feed him,’ so I was like, wow,” Tumino says about how Jesus gave him a sign. He went to Wegman’s and bought a sandwich, a bag of chips, and something sweet to drink. He drove back to the homeless man.

“Hey man, my name is John, I have lunch here if you’d like it,” Tumino said, using food to break down the wall of invisibility. The man, known as Tim P., said, “Sure.” Tumino then said, “I want you to know that you’re not invisible, I see you standing there.” Tim froze and took a deep breath. He never expected that. Tim was the first person Tumino helped, five years ago. Since then he’s helped 2 more homeless people. IMFK’s office at 501 Hawley Street is not just the office for the organization, but also a place for the homeless people Tumino helps to clean up and get fresh clothes.

Leigh Ann volunteers with her husband. She says Tumino is the one who comes up with ideas. “He’s a visionary, I create it and put it together,” she says.

She was previously the children’s director at Abundant Life Christian Center for 15 years, writing curriculum, creating programs, training, and doing anything else that needed to be done. When Asti Caffe opened, Leigh Ann left her director position to help at the restaurant, with bookkeeping and office duties. Now she is Tumino’s right hand.

Today, as a full-time volunteer at IMFK, her life has been busier than ever – paperwork, creating newsletters, and such – while her husband recruits organizations to help homeless people. “I’m very proud of him and very proud to say that I’m his wife,” Leigh Ann says. “John never meets an enemy. Everyone’s his friend. I think I’m an introvert, he’s an extrovert. It wows me that he’s somebody who can make friends with everybody.”

It’s been over 15 months since Steven Clemens, 56, got sober, and it all started with a lunch. Clemens was one of the many homeless people to whom Tumino regularly brought food and clothes. But on one particular day Clemens had given up on life. Lying in his own feces, flies buzzing around him, he said to God, “This is it. Just take me or don’t. I’m done.” Minutes later, Tumino showed up and called the ambulance to rescue him. Clemens now regularly assists Tumino in his work.

Tumino never feels disgust or repulsion for the homeless people he encounters. The day Clemens was rescued, for instance, Tumino stood by him despite the strong odor that made even a male nurse almost throw up. Tumino listens to their stories, trying to connect them with people or organizations that can help. His family and the people he works with say he has always been a kind-hearted man, the one who understands, and the one who never judges.

In addition, Tumino has another close friend who went with him on his first outreach to the homeless in the streets of Syracuse. Duane Main, 54, an accountant manager at ABF Transportation, first met Tumino at a church. Nowadays, he considers Tumino a friend. “He’s an accountability partner of mine,” Main says. “He’s a gentleman I can trust, who I can go with to everyday situations or life situations. He’s got good godly wisdom.”

Today, IMFK sells pasta sauce, New Horizons coffee, and maple syrup to create awareness and finance the organization as it continues its mission. Tumino sees this as a marketplace where he physically can’t go. These products make their way to people’s kitchens, gifts for someone who could end up in another person’s cabinet. This is how IMFK spreads its word and reaches new supporters. From making and selling food, and offering a meal to cut through the invisibility, “we’re building hope and changing lives,” Tumino says.

What a year it has been with the opening of our new project Mission 124/7 Life House. We accepted our first resident into the home on November 1st and Leigh Ann and the team have hit the ground running. Our resident will be with us for a year as she learns the skills needed to re-enter a life free from sex trafficking. She was able to experience a great Thanksgiving with our team and the work started for her to be reconnected with her children. Because of your support we were able to purchase gifts for her kids for Christmas. Our resident was able to spend some time with her children for Christmas and she was able to give them presents this year. Can you say Christmas Miracle for Her! You are part of that miracle and we say thank you!

This year during street outreach we were able to assist over 30 friends with housing while serving well over 1000 meals in 2022!

The end of this year was tough losing 3 friends in the course of 13 days. We were able to do the services for the families as well as have our friends attend so they could say their goodbyes.

Our Hire Ground Program was able to have over 250 unduplicated riders participate in cleaning our community. That meant no panhandling for the day because of this many of our friends were connected to different services in the community. We were able to show them dignity through work and relationships. 

Your relationship with IMFK is crucial, after watching this video will you consider the best year-end gift and push us over the top going into 2023.

Thank you so much for your love and support and HAPPY NEW YEAR

John and Leigh Ann