Honoring Deacon Kevin McCardle: A Life of Service for the “Dear Neighbor”
By Frejya Lindh
Deacon Kevin McCardle’s decades of service to St. Joseph Center demonstrate the power of meeting every person with dignity, compassion, and care.
Category: Nourish
Claire Stone Builds Community Through Service
By Frejya Lindh
Claire Stone volunteers at Bread & Roses Café and is helping inspire a new generation of community advocates through service, leadership, and local impact.
Emi Carvell’s Story: Rooted in Nature, Growing Through Service
By Frejya Lindh
Volunteer and Master Gardener Emi Carvell shares how nature, resilience, and decades of service have shaped her commitment to community at St. Joseph Center.
Serving Food, Sharing Humanity: Meet Yvette, a Bread & Roses Volunteer
By Frejya Lindh
Meet Yvette, a dedicated Bread & Roses Café volunteer whose story highlights the power of service, compassion and community at St. Joseph Center during Volunteer Appreciation Month.
Our Founding Sisters: A Story of Courage, Faith, and Action
By Frejya Lindh
As Los Angeles has once again become a reflection of the country, on the front lines of debates over who deserves housing, what should be taught, and who gets to call L.A. home, it is worth revisiting a history that has united this city across difference. While many Angelenos remember the city’s founding fathers, fewer … Continued
Are You Like Us Now? Jocelyn Rebuilds Hope Through Community
By Frejya Lindh
“Are you like us now?” That was the question Jocelyn Cortese heard from the unhoused diners when she walked back into Bread & Roses Café last April. She had been gone for a while. In the wake of the devastating LA wildfires that swept through the Palisades, Jocelyn, a woman who has spent 19 years … Continued
The Phoenix Effect: Mateo Found Solace Serving at St. Joseph Center
By Frejya Lindh
One year after the devastating January 2025 wildfires, Mateo’s journey comes full circle. Displaced by the flames, he found a community of support and a place to give back at St. Joseph Center. “Volunteering gave me a sense of stability when everything else felt uncertain.” What began as a search for connection soon became something … Continued
Sherrie’s Resilience: A Veteran Finds Fuel and Community at the Food Pantry
By Frejya Lindh
As St. Joseph Center celebrates 50 years of impact, we are proud to share Sherrie’s story—one of resilience, community, and the power of nutritious food to support health and stability. A Venice native and disabled Veteran, Sherrie embodies resilience. After serving in the military for over 20 years, she returned home when her mother became … Continued
Recipe for Renewal: How Bread & Roses Training Kitchen Gave Me a Second Chance
By Frejya Lindh
From the chaos of addiction and prison cells to the order of a professional kitchen, Chef Uri has rewritten his life story. Through St. Joseph Center’s Bread & Roses Training Kitchen and his recovery community at Beit T’Shuvah, he discovered accountability, confidence, and a second chance to turn his passion for cooking into purpose. For a … Continued
Cooking Up a Comeback Beyond Bars
By Frejya Lindh
Chef Brian shares his remarkable journey from serving 19 years in prison to forging a new path through St. Joseph Center’s Bread and Roses Training Kitchen. With determination, resilience, and a passion for cooking, he turned second chances into real opportunities — from leading in professional kitchens to inspiring his community. His story is a testament … Continued
