For three hours every week, from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm, French prepares and serves food to over 100 people who come to Carriage House for a hot meal.
Carriage House provides a stable supportive community for homeless men and women. Carriage House addresses immediate survival needs and provides services that lead to employment, housing, personal stability and healing.
French not only helps prepare the meal, serve the meal and clean up the kitchen, he also chats and jokes with the Carriage House clients to make them feel at home. "I love to talk to the clients-it's part of the attraction," French said. "They have amazing experiences to share. It is very eye-opening and rewarding."
Part of French and the other volunteers' job is to "make the atmosphere welcoming and supporting so that the clients feel confident enough to take advantage of the other services and support [Carriage House] offers," French added.
Jones pointed out that "In addition to serving meals and telling jokes that never fail to brighten clients' days, French works behind the scenes building desperately needed additions to the kitchen and gaining public recognition for Carriage House."
French facilitated the City Council Proclamation declaring the week of October 19th "Carriage House Appreciation Week."
"His outstanding commitment to the Carriage House is humbling, as he garners no reward other than that which is received from helping others," said Jones.
"I am thankful for this opportunity," French concluded. "I will never look at a homeless person the same way again."
