{"id":29,"date":"2015-10-25T10:16:04","date_gmt":"2015-10-25T14:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/projects.nyujournalism.org\/stateofbaltimore\/?page_id=29"},"modified":"2015-11-08T20:33:36","modified_gmt":"2015-11-09T01:33:36","slug":"soup-kitchens-thrive-in-baltimore","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/projects.nyujournalism.org\/stateofbaltimore\/soup-kitchens-thrive-in-baltimore\/","title":{"rendered":"Soup kitchens thrive in Baltimore"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Alexandra Zuccaro<\/p>\n

November 9, 2015<\/p>\n

Michael Parker waited in a long line recently at the front of the Manna House soup kitchen, where a crowd of hungry men all hoped to get in a warm breakfast before their day began. The line was unruly, as the men, many with scraggly beards and disheveled clothing, tried to push their way to the front, just to get some oatmeal or maybe a hard boiled egg.<\/p>\n

Once inside Parker, with his youthful face hidden behind overgrown facial hair and a neck tattoo, was given a tray. The volunteers poured him a steaming cup of coffee and placed two heaping bowls of oatmeal in front of him along with a chocolate pastry and a cold ham sandwich. After receiving his food, Parker found an empty seat and dug in.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s only his fourth day being homeless.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a long time for somebody that\u2019s new to it,\u201d said Parker of the four days. \u201cI was going to go to Philadelphia or New Jersey or something like that, but I\u2019m embarrassed to say that I\u2019m broke right now. I can\u2019t even afford $26 to get on the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Michael<\/a>

Michael Parker, 32, of Baltimore, has been homeless for four days. Photo by Alexandra Zuccoro<\/p><\/div>\n

At 32, Parker never saw himself living on the streets of Baltimore. Over the past few weeks, he got kicked out of his apartment and fired from his job because of a conflict between his coworkers, with whom he also lived with.<\/p>\n

Soup kitchens have been in high demand since the number of homeless has soared. According to the Office of Neighborhood Improvement in Baltimore, about 5,000 individuals contacted a county organization to seek assistance because they were homeless or at risk of being homeless in 2013-2014. Sixty percent of the homeless population are men and 80 percent are older than 25-years-old.<\/p>\n

The homeless can be seen on downtown streets, lying on the ground, wandering into Inner Harbor restaurants, begging for money at intersections and in tents in median strips that straddle neighborhoods. Being homeless is not something these men are prepared for and getting food to eat can be the biggest struggle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re now serving over 200,\u201d said Patty Feick, Case Manager at the Manna House, of the influx of homeless the soup kitchen sees daily.<\/p>\n

Patty Feick, Case Manager at Manna House, describes the type of homeless people she works with in the Baltimore community. <\/strong><\/p>\n