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Join Providence Ministries for a totally rad fun-filled event featuring game show showdowns between teams like E.N. White School vs. Lawrence School, and local celebrities like Mayor Alex Morse, WWLP Meteorologist Nick Bannon, City Councilor Jim Leahy, Rep. Aaron Vega, and more!  

Friday, January 24th, 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin

A night of your favorite throwback game shows: Password, Family Feud, and Price Is Right.

Your ticket to Retro Game Night includes Food, Fun, and so much more!

Tickets are $40 per person, or make it a winning night out with friends by purchasing a table of 10!

Upgrade to a VIP ticket for only $20 more and be entered in a drawing for your chance to play and win one of our fabulous prizes!

Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 413-536-9109.

Please RSVP by January 17th.

Friday, March 29 from 6:30-9:00 at the Delaney House 

It is our privilege to continue the legacy of Sr. Margaret by meeting the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. This year alone, we served over 20% more meals at Kate's Kitchen; 79% increase in food and groceries provided to local families; and impacted even more lives through the foodWorks@Kate's Kitchen culinary training program than in years prior.

Tickets are $80 and can be purchased online or by calling 413-536-9109.

Proceeds to launch Providence Ministries' planned giving program in honor of Sr. Margaret's 80th birthday

Dinner choices are:

Chicken Florentine

Swordfish Parmesan

Gorgonzola Sirloin

Wild Mushroom Ravioli

"I have a job. I now have a car and it’s brought my family back together. I am forever grateful for Chef Ralph and Dalton and the Providence Ministries and Kate's family."

Rafael became a familiar face at Kate's Kitchen a few years back when his life spiraled during a difficult divorce and his family separating. Not one to keep idle, he found himself at Kate's for meals and to help out. Upon a move to Springfield he lost touch and was having difficulty managing the shifts of life.  On the morning of his daughter’s sweet sixteen, she had one request: a cake.  The one place he knew he could go was to Kate's. He picked up his bicycle, and rode over to Holyoke with high hopes. He not only found a cake, he was delighted to be packed up with takeaway peanut butter and jelly sandwiches along with some fruits and veggies. 

While there, Rafael recognized a familiar face; Ralph Webb the Executive Chef of foodWorks@Kate's Kitchen. Rafael recalls vividly, "Chef Ralph looked me directly in the eye and said, 'I can get you a job.'" Rafael was intrigued and delighted that someone saw him—his full potential albeit his current struggle. Rafael not only left with the Sweet 16 cake his daughter hoped for; but a renewed sense of purpose as he promptly enrolled into the upcoming class of foodWorks@Kate’s Kitchen.

Rafael, a tenderly quiet man, is remarkably memorable no matter where he goes. FoodWorks' Instructional Chef Dalton Clarke, recognized something special in Rafael immediately and pushed him to realize his full potential; Rafael recalled that "Chef Dalton saw my drive and passion and I am thankful that he did."  According to Dennis Henry, Executive Chef, Sheraton Springfield, who hired Rafael upon graduation from foodWorks@Kate’s Kitchen back in February 2018, "I saw that same drive in Rafael and it hasn’t stopped. In fact, he was recommended as Employee of the Month after only three months on the job. Most employees are not recommended until six years into the job…and it is a huge accomplishment to be nominated at all given there are over 250 employees."

When asked what was the most challenging of the foodWorks@Kate's Kitchen work, one could easily imagine that his answer would have included his daily bicycle trek from Holyoke to Springfield and back, for 13 weeks but not so. Rafael says the job interview was the most challenging; "Everything I had worked for, to get a job, depended on this." 

Henry has been with the Sheraton Springfield for seven years and though a native, left the area for a while only to return to be closer to his family and grow his Sheraton Springfield team. He deems Rafael a great investment and continues to keep an eye open for foodWorks@Kate's Kitchen graduates to build his team. In fact, our ties to the Sheraton remain close ones, as Dalton Clarke is a former employee of Henry's and they continue to find ways to partner. In June 2017, our students joined in for the prep and presentation of the Springfield Union Station reopening.

Upon reflection, Rafael thoroughly enjoyed his foodWorks@Kate's Kitchen training and shared, "I have a job. I now have a car and it’s brought my family back together. I am forever grateful for Chef Ralph and Dalton and the Providence Ministries and Kate's family."

"There is so much need in our community. If everyone and every company did just one thing, just think how much better off we all would be."

Just recently Jeannie and Mike Filomeno of Marcotte Ford found themselves digging into Mike’s golf bag in his car in our parking lot off Cabot Street when serving a meal they delivered at Kate’s. A gentleman had approached them, thanking them for always returning and saying how much he looked forward to their food and visits, but he had one small request: "Do you have any socks you can spare?"  Mike and Jeannie had to act; they simply could not turn away. This is how Jeannie and Mike lead their daily lives; in the service of others.

Jeannie and Mike Filomeno of Marcotte Ford are at Kate’s Kitchen once a month in service to others. They deliver 100 hand-made Easter baskets, serve Jeannie’s own homemade manicotti and salad to community guests, bring filled backpacks for the children as they go back to school each year. In July the entire Marcotte family & team set up a tent, bringing their own grills and food, to treat our neighbors to a huge family style picnic.

In fact, our Kate’s Kitchen and Margaret’s Pantry family would seem incomplete without the Marcotte family. And when our Margaret’s Pantry needed a new fridge this year or needed new garage doors, the Marcotte family acted.

How does someone connect with community in this way and show this level of compassion? It all started over 8 years ago when Jeannie and her brother Bryan wanted to serve at a local soup kitchen and they called Kate’s, spoke to Brenda and went down to meet her. They hit it off and committed to serving right away. For Bryan and Jeannie Marcotte, community service has always held a strong value in their family and when they got involved with the life-changing work at Providence Ministries, they found it to be infectious. “It’s important for us to give back to the community that has given so much back to us over the years.”

It may have began with Bryan and Jeannie, but it now is the entire family and team of Marcotte Ford employees; together they serve as an enormous, inspirational example of compassion in action.

What inspires them most about the work of Providence Ministries:  “We have so much respect for the tireless work the employees and volunteers exhibit 365 days a year. And in emergencies Providence Ministries is first on the scene with clothing, blankets and support and now helping families relocate from Puerto Rico.”

Clearly compassion comes alive in everything Jeannie and Mike do when they give back and it does not stop with them. If they were to share ONE thing it would be, “There is so much need in our community. If every person did ONE THING a year, it would make a huge difference. It would be great if other businesses got connected with the work of PM and get their employees involved. They would enjoy helping and supporting their community and would want to continue what they started.”