Resident Success Story: New Country, New Kitchen

When Mr. and Mrs. Roman moved to the mainland of the United States from Puerto Rico, they were excited to move into their new apartment at Batavia Village near Cincinnati, OH. After coming from so far away, they did not have one kitchen utensil or food item.

Thanks to Wendy Cappelano, the Service Coordinator at Batavia Village, the Roman family had their needs assessed on the day of their move-in. Mildred Hernandez, a leasing agent at Wallick, assisted Wendy with interpreting and helped the Romans choose items needed to establish their kitchen.

A local non-profit organization, Inter Parish Ministry, has a program called Fresh Start Kitchen. The goal of the Fresh Start Program is to provide families with the necessities to stock a kitchen with the food and supplies needed for a home.

Mr. and Mrs. Roman were able to choose pantry, freezer, refrigerated, and basic food items and essential kitchen items such as plates, bowls, glasses, baking pans, cleaning supplies, utensils, and small appliances. Now, they have a well-stocked kitchen to create healthy meals!

Saving on the initial cost of stocking a kitchen is huge, and the Romans are so appreciative of all that was given to them. They don’t know how to say thank you enough and even bring yummy food and Puerto Rican coffee to Wallick’s Batavia office!