Nourishing the body, mind and spirit

The Reverend Thomas Bokenkotter is founder of the Over-The-Rhine Kitchen, the Oldest Soup Kitchen in Cincinnati, as well as the Walnut Hills Kitchen and the Walnut Hills Pantry.

The Over-The-Rhine Kitchen was established in January of 1976 after Fr. Bokenkotter returned from a visit to Dorothy Day's House of Hospitality in New York City. Seeing the poor people lined up for meals Fr. Bokenkotter wondered whether anything like it existed in Cincinnati. Upon returning from his trip, he consulted with various social service agencies in Cincinnati who informed him that there was indeed a need for such a program. At the time there was only one such soup kitchen in Cincinnati which combined a free meal with an obligatory religious service.

Fr. Bokenkotter felt there was room for another type of program in view of the large number of poor in the Over-The-Rhine area (8,000 people below the poverty level out of a population of some 10,000).

Fr. Bokenkotter recruited a number of volunteers and with just $700 in the bank, he started serving warm meals in a building on Main Street. At first the meals were cooked in the St. Gregory seminary kitchen; Fr. Bokenkotter was a professor at St. Gregory's Seminary. It was soon apparent that the need for such a program was great in the inner city for soon after its opening hundreds of people lined up daily to get a warm meal. For various reasons the site had to be moved several times until it found a "Home" at 1620 Vine Street, right in the heart of Over-The-Rhine.

Another important person in the history of our organization was a young man named Tom Geiger. Tom was a student of Fr. Bokenkotter’s. He listened intently to Fr. Bokenkotter’s description of his experience with the poor and was touched by what he heard. So he volunteered to help with the opening of the Over-The-Rhine Kitchen in 1976. Tom offered to manage the Kitchen and develop its program. Because he was so devoted to helping the poor and homeless, Tom moved into the back room of the Kitchen so he could be available whenever someone needed him. At the age of 33, Tom Geiger died suddenly. His presence and contributions were truly missed. Fr. Bokenkotter often tells how the funeral procession from the church to the Kitchen, where the meal of mercy was held, was filled with the people Tom had served. Tom was a great role model for us all. The Tom Geiger Guest House, a residence for abused women and children on Gilbert Avenue, was named for him to honor his memory.

Fr. Bokenkotter has often reflected on the plight of our "guests." He has stated that there are many reasons why people are caught in the trap of extreme poverty. However, while we are looking for answers, we can all do our part to alleviate some of the suffering. This thought is what inspires us to continue our work at The Over-The-Rhine Kitchen, the Walnut Hills Kitchen and the Walnut Hills Pantry.