On my final day in LA, before heading east, I visited the Los Angeles Catholic Worker “Hippie Kitchen,” located in the middle of the central city ghetto known as Skid Row. Founded in 1970, this Hospitality Kitchen is part of the Catholic Worker Movement, founded in the 30’s by Dorothy Day with the mission to “feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the sick, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner.”
This center is more than a soup kitchen. In addition to meal and clinical services, they have cultivated a garden beyond belief, filled with artwork and heart, to provide a refuge from the harsh reality of living on the street. 
At the Open Door’s Harriet Tubman Foot Clinic we have been lucky to host, on occasion, workers from the LACW Foot Clinic. I am so glad to now have the chance to work with their crew on Footcare Friday! In the middle of such tragedy, the Hippie Kitchen shines like a jewel. The gardens and buildings are filled with mosaics and murals. A contrast to the encampments which line the streets of Skid Row each night.The foot clinic at the Hippie Kitchen, is held outside in the middle of the gardens. What a healing experience for the wounded, to gaze upon flowers as their feet are tended. And what an incredibly moving experience for the practitioner, to work in these magical surroundings.
I hope to return again next year, to visit with this community, so dedicated to caring for their brothers and sisters and friends on the street. I look forward to getting the chance to once again, share skills and share in this uplifting work. Big shout out to the folks of the LACW! Thank you!
