Mission

With love, respect, and compassion, Dorothy's Place provides essential services and transitional support to people experiencing the injustice of homelessness and extreme poverty.

The Big Idea

Dorothy’s Place enhances the community by providing homeless people with jobs and food, including through its Red Artichoke Café, which employs homeless people to prepare food to serve to the public. Their successful program has not stopped for one day—when Covid-19 hit, their operations quickly adapted. They hired eight temporary employees for three months so that they could operate without volunteers, who were sheltering in place. Without the ability to offer dine-in meals, they quickly changed the way they serve meals. They installed four handwashing sinks outside that are plumbed to the building, supplying sanitation and running water 24/7 for the largest encampment of unsheltered people in Monterey County. The need for services existed before Covid-19 and will exist after Covid-19, but it is especially urgent now.

Dorothy’s helped when I was homeless and broken. It didn’t just feed me, it gave me purpose and a way to show everyone that I had talent and worth, even at the lowest point in my life. That happened first through volunteering daily, then I was hired full-time as the front-of-house coordinator, and I have now graduated to Red Artichoke Café manager. I love my work! And I want everyone who feels low to feel what I do now. Accomplished. Powerful. Worth it. That’s Red Artichoke Café’s purpose. I feel honored to be part of the inaugural Red Artichoke crew, helping others achieve jobs, housing and independence.

- Julieta Borges