{"id":1774,"date":"2023-02-21T18:41:35","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T18:41:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bowery.org\/updates\/?p=1774"},"modified":"2023-02-27T18:16:39","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T18:16:39","slug":"the-power-of-hot-coffee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bowery.org\/updates\/2023\/02\/the-power-of-hot-coffee\/","title":{"rendered":"The power of hot coffee when you\u2019re homeless"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We New Yorkers love our coffee. It keeps us going when the city wears us down. Especially when the days get darker and colder, it can give us the stamina to keep going. At The Bowery Mission, we believe a simple act of kindness can go a long way. That\u2019s why we make sure to have fresh, hot coffee available to our guests each morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raffaele DePalma, Executive Chef at The Bowery Mission, says coffee is just one small part of the Mission\u2019s value for hospitality. And it becomes extra important when it\u2019s freezing out and people have been sleeping rough on the street all night.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt gives you that little boost you need when you know you have to go right back out again and deal with the world,\u201d says Chef Raffaele, who is himself a graduate of The Bowery Mission\u2019s Residential Program for men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe all love a hot drink and a little caffeine in the morning, but coffee is more than that \u2014 it\u2019s also a daily routine that can keep you grounded. It can restore a sense of normalcy even when the world around you is falling apart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Executive Chef Raffaele DePalma, second from left, with fellow members of The Bowery Mission’s staff<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201c<\/em>When you\u2019re going through the motions, something as simple as a cup of coffee can make you feel alive again.\u201d<\/span><\/em> \u2014 Chef Raffaele<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

At The Bowery Mission, coffee is also an important way to foster a sense of camaraderie and community. For anyone who feels alone or marginalized, being welcomed in for a hot drink and a friendly conversation can help you feel connected to others again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bowery Mission\u2019s coffee tradition dates all the way back to its founding. In the 1890s, the Mission established a restaurant where anyone who was poor or homeless could eat at a nominal cost. For five cents \u2014 the equivalent of $1.79 today \u2014 guests could enjoy \u201ca bowl of coffee, three slices of bread, oatmeal and milk, or pork and beans, beef stew or cornbeef hash.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the early 1900s, the Mission opened its famous midnight bread line to serve a winter influx of seasonal workers on our streets. On our busiest nights, we served hot coffee and rolls to more than 2,000 \u201cbreadliners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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