We have all heard the cliché, “life can change in an instant”. For one man, Ray, the founder of Christine’s Kitchen, it was a series of traumatic "instants" that changed his entire future.
In the course of five months Ray witnessed the death of an eighty six year old woman, a child born prematurely that lived only nineteen minutes and a woman in the prime of her life told she had only months to live, when she was diagnosed with advanced cancer.
The eighty six year old woman, Filly, was his mother; the child, Simone, his first granddaughter; the cancer patient, Christine, his wife. One woman had the opportunity to lead a full life, one never did, and the third fought to extend hers, by defying impossible odds for over five years. Needless to say, these events changed him. Seeing beyond the immediate pain and anguish, it became so obvious to him that life is a blessing and the opportunities that life affords are unknown to or unseen by many.
Because of the missed chance at life of Simone, the longevity and joy of Filly’s life and the extraordinary example of courage and grace shown by Christine, Ray believes the goal of Christine’s Kitchen is to bring their examples to others.
The mission, the heart and the soul of Christine’s Kitchen, is to be the surrogate family, a home connection for those who have lost their way because of life’s painful hardships. By taking this new direction, the destiny of countless others can be changed in a positive and meaningful way. We strive to bring FAITH and LOVE to all who enter.
For Ray, the of Christine’s Kitchen Mission is:
To honor the memory of Simone by offering to others the life and love she missed.
To honor the memory of Filly, extending to others, her life experience of exuberance and happiness.
In the name of Christine, to show the Love and Faith they had and God willing, extend that blessing to others.
This mission would be a daunting task for one person to achieve, but fortunately Ray has found kindred spirits who are willing to join this effort. Not because they may have known Simone, Filly or Christine – but in response to the moments that their lives changed. Because like Ray, they want to give back and honor the “Simones”, the “Fillys” or the “Christines” of their lives. While the faces and names may be different, the common thread that binds everyone together is a sense of caring and love, not just for their families and friends, but especially for those wounded by life's “instants”. It is these shared core values and the dedication of many that transforms Christine’s Kitchen from one man's dream to an unflinching family of good will.
You could say the Kitchen houses a large family; Christine’s Kitchen is blessed with an abundance of human resources; all are fortunate individuals, willing to help in this mission; teachers, doctors, service providers, investors and countless others stand ready to donate their time, skills and heart to help those that are living a life of lost dreams. Each of these caring and kind individuals at some point experienced life changing moments and has survived. Now they appreciate and recognize that grace was extended to them; home, family, love helps in overcoming those darkest moments.
Our kitchen table is a place for the weary to feed their stomachs and a place to find a better reality. We are truly a hub of new beginnings. Our doors open for many different faces; our doors are open to those who seek a greater existence. It is to those people we say;
Welcome to Christine’s Kitchen. Welcome Home. |
