Formerly homeless Kutztown resident Julia Zion recently founded Nom Prophets, a Kutztown based non-profit organization that provides meals, job training and self confidence to the homeless and poor.
“We try to empower people through showing them they’re worth it,” said Zion, president of Nom Prophets.
The relatively new non-profit organization started in November.
“But I have been doing this kind of work for years,” said Zion. “I was homeless years ago and that started me out cooking in shelters. I was given the opportunity to cook at the shelter while I was in the shelter. It made me feel so good it made me feel like I had some kind of worth.”
Zion began cooking for a community meal in Pottstown and then hosted her own community meal, serving more than 55 people. She has helped at The Ministries at Main Street, a seasonal shelter in Pottstown, for the last couple of years.
“I decided this year we’d start a non-profit organization so we could go out and expand what we do,” said Zion who currently works for Aramark in dinning services at Kutztown University.
Nom Prophets helps at The Ministries at Main Street in Pottstown and Hope Rescue Mission and Nom Prophets board members hope to expand the number of shelters and food pantries they serve. Volunteers also offer job search help.
“We have two job coaches as board members so we’re quite happy with where we’re going.”
Zion said there are opportunities every once in awhile to invite people into the kitchen as well.
“We’ve had a couple of people who were in the food service industry who were down on their luck, didn’t have a job at the moment, had loads of experience and were just quite happy to be in the kitchen again doing what they love.”
At the Topton Street Fair on May 21, Zion and volunteers Brian James and ChristieAnne Whitby offered samples of Zion’s homemade sauces and hot sauces which are sold at local stores. Proceeds fund Nom Prophets. They also cooked beef and sprouts, something volunteers cook at the shelter.
“This shows people that we don’t just open cans of something and serve it. We spend some time, spend some love and put more effort into what we do because when you show you put more effort into something it makes the people there feel better about themselves, that they are worth it,” said Zion. “I say we serve our food with a side of dignity.”
She also spread word about an upcoming fundraiser.
Nom Prophets will host NomFest Charity Food and Arts Festival on July 24 at Kutztown Park. All proceeds go toward local charities that help the homeless and poor.
“We’re trying to get mostly food and art vendors. We’re going to have music. We may even have a magician,” said Zion. “We’ll have kids stuff. We’ll have all kinds of things.”
Zion encourages vendors, musicians and performers to contact Nom Prophets.
“I’m hoping to make this a great event that Kutztown will ask us back for and that we can do some good with it,” she said.
For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/NomFest/ or visit https://www.facebook.com/NomProphets/.
