SAN ANTONIO — After years of service in an ancient, cramped house-turned-shelter, the Catholic Worker House has a new place to call home.
On Wednesday morning, volunteers served their first breakfast at a brand-new building on the campus of Towne Twin Village (TTV), a permanent supportive housing neighborhood for those who have been chronically homeless and are over 50 years old or disabled.
The new complex on Dietrich Road in east San Antonio is named to remember the former drive-in movie facility that occupied the 17-acre spot years ago.
Project leaders with the Housing First Community Coalition said the ultimate goal of the development is to be a safe, reliable community for about 200 people who have seen some very tough times.
Dr. Chris Plauche is vice president of the board at TTV and the visionary who brought the dream to life, according to the group's website.
As Plauche greeted their first breakfast crowd to the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality, she extolled the virtues of the woman who started the Catholic Worker movement back in 1933.
Day, who died in 1980, is remembered as a journalist and community activist who championed causes for the poor and oppressed, and so the tradition continues with a facility that will serve some of the most vulnerable among the homeless population.
Years in the making, Plauche said she pursued a number of other locations before a deal was inked and plans started to creep forward.
In the fall of 2020, volunteers armed with hand tools and trash bags started showing up for work days, clearing the long abandoned mountains of debris left by illegal dumpers.
Plauche said as cleanup progressed, architects and engineers joined the effort to build what she hoped would be a world-class facility.
TTV, which features tiny homes and RVs on site, saw guests arrive within the past year while construction continued on shared community buildings, including the Day center.
After a blessing, guests streamed into the new building for bounty.
For the first time, volunteers have the luxury of a well-designed commercial kitchen, Plauche said, as she scurried around taking care of last minute details.
Guests were greeted with steaming hot scrambled eggs, sausage, donuts, fruit, biscuits and more.
Plauche said she is excited to be using real dishes for the first time since the pandemic forced them to switch over to disposable items.
Plauche pointed out a huge cupboard filled with coffee cups, watched over by a tiny statue of Jesus, homeless and sleeping on a park bench.
With a motif of lone stars, the dining room is bright, festive and sustainable, as Plauche reminded guests who live on site to always bring their own dishes to eliminate waste.
Anthony Franks, who has lived and worked for the group for years, said "We've been planning this for years and finally it happened and now we have the newest, biggest most modern Catholic Worker House in probably the entire world."
"I've lived here a year now," he said. "I've watched it grow, watched people move in and I think it's going well. I see a lot of people helping each other in the neighborhood and that's really cool."
Saying the project wouldn't work without the help of an army of volunteers and donors, Franks said, "A lot of people have come from different organizations and we hope more will come to help with additional projects."
Much of the food they serve comes from community groups and businesses that make regular, life-sustaining contributions.
"This is not a government project or a Catholic Church project, per se," Frank said, adding that some of their most reliable help comes from Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, St. Mark's Catholic Church and St David's Episcopal School. "We can't afford to buy breakfast and lunch, so the volunteers make all the difference."
Franks said he hopes they will soon be able to sponsor Friday night movies.
"So that will bring the community together. Maybe just come make popcorn. It's not the big projects. It's the little things."
There are volunteer jobs for everyone, Franks said.
"We're going to have a nice little park that will need landscaping. There's always gardening to do."
Noting the center also provides basic supplies for guests, Franks said, "Socks, underwear, toothpaste. Everything we get is donated by somebody, people with nice hearts."
More information about project can be found on their website.