By Krystle J Bailey
“I want to give people resources where they feel empowered and have the opportunity to give back,” shared Paige Washington in a 2018 Shore Local interview.
As the new Director of Development for the 501(c)(3) Friends of Jean Webster, Paige returns to the soil where it all began. The founder of C.R.O.P.S. (Communities Revolutionizing Open Public Spaces) recently stepped away from her role as Board Chair of the organization she founded in 2016, stating, “I’ve come to the end of my ability to fulfill my mission under the current leadership.”
Washington’s personal mission has been the same since she moved her family to South Jersey in 2014: to facilitate growth and promote connected communities by creating new experiences. It’s these connected moments and the togetherness of a community that Paige looks forward to bringing to Sister Jean’s Kitchen in her new role as Director of Development.
“Sister Jean’s is about so much more than just a soup kitchen,” shared Washington. “It’s about a woman’s legacy and her impact on the community. A lot of people who have worked or volunteered there have also had to eat there at some point.”
Paige, who has served as a board member at Sister Jean’s since 2019, looks forward to facilitating a feeling of belonging as the kitchen prepares for upcoming renovations and their highly-anticipated reopening. With the recent approval by the city to pursue renovations, it is anticipated that Sister Jean’s Kitchen will resume hot meal service by Thanksgiving of this year.
“Sister Jean’s already has a mission,” explained Washington in a recent interview. “Jean Webster said, “God told me to feed the people” and that message means so much to me. What are we feeding them? We feed their souls, a community, and someone’s ability to feel like they’re a part of something.”
She recalls memories over the last several years of working in the garden from a local U.S. Veteran who helped arrange rocks in the flower beds to the Korean American woman who took greens from the garden and returned the next day with homemade bao buns.
While hot meal service has been on hold since 2019, Sister Jean’s has distributed over 500,000 pounds of food through their partnership with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey and Sister Jean’s Pantry as well as opened Sister Jean’s Closet to distribute clothing and hygiene products to individuals in need.
The kitchen and garden at Sister Jean’s offer a place for men and women to gather for a hot meal and feel like a part of something special. As she transitions into her new role, Paige shares her vision for the old St. Monica’s Parish Church.
“Even if economically, things got better and in a perfect world, nobody needed a meal, how amazing would it be to still come together and gather around a table to eat?” she asks rhetorically.
Paige’s heart of service for the community is rooted in her desire to bridge the gaps between cultures and classes by creating individual experiences that inspire togetherness and connection. With the same passion for the community that she poured into the growth of C.R.O.P.S., Paige is looking forward to a future of growth and healing at Sister Jean’s Kitchen.
For more information or to get involved with Sister Jean’s, visit friendsofjeanwebster.org.
