Pittsburgh-based Vincentian has been providing long-term care to its community for nearly 100 years, thanks to an order of Catholic nuns who set out to nourish the souls of 24 residents at the Holy Rosary Cottage.
Today, the not-for-profit collaborative care system is still serving seniors across multiple settings, but leaders have found a new way to quite literally nourish those living outside its communities, too.
The Unconventional Kitchen offers meals for one, meals for some and meals for a crowd. All revenues from the new catering service support Vincentian’s mission, one that has been increasingly challenged by revenue shortfalls over the last two years.
“This is not a temporary condition,” says Patty Embree, chief operating officer and vice president of innovation at Vincentian. “This is our new normal. We have to be creative and innovative in our processes to think about how we can make sure that we get additional revenue in.”
In this episode hosted by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News Senior Editor Kimberly Marselas, Embree outlines how Vincentian converted a little-used commercial kitchen in a convent into a once-again thriving space — and how others might take a cue from the kitchen’s “Eat Well, Give Back” motto.
Whether picking up a family meal at the organization’s child care center after a busy work day or ordering fine cuisine (and “sinfully delicious” baked goods) for a wedding, customers have been moved by the idea of supporting a local human services organization with their purchases.
“It resonates with people,” says Embree.
