Sámano approached her after noticing her active involvement in the shelter and strong work ethic. She thought González could be a good fit to lead the kitchen. Along with her other helpers, González runs a tight crew. All kitchen employees are up by 7 a.m. to bathe and drink coffee. They start cooking at 8:30 a.m. and prepare for customers’ arrival at 1 p.m.
For González, the kitchen has become a safe space where she can also use all of her culinary knowledge. ”Now that I found this kitchen, this project and this rhythm of life, I’ve found a way to fulfill my dreams as a young person,” she said.
Though the kitchen initially began as an idea to serve and employ their community, as soon as it opened, residents in the surrounding neighborhood started to flock in. Out in front of Casa Lleca, Sámano guides customers into the small dining room set up for the community kitchen. Etched onto a whiteboard hung on a steel door, the menu reads in big black letters, ”chicharrón gorditas, soup, beans and dessert.” A full meal for only 11 pesos (about 50 cents).
They cook lunch for up to 150 people a day, including workers like 31-year-old Alan Olivares, who has become a regular. Olivares, a cleaner who works in the nearby Cuauhtemoc neighborhood, has been eating at the kitchen for the past couple of weeks.
”In addition to saving some money, the food is delicious,” he said, adding that he was happy to see the shelter thriving in its new business. ”Mexico needs to have a more open mind, we’re all human and it’s part of our diversity,” he said.
Sámano founded Casa Lleca in 2020, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, in an effort to help LGBTQ+ folks and sex workers who were unhoused or at risk of losing their homes. As hotels remained shut down, many had been left without a home or workplace. She said many of the shelters that were opened by the government at that time didn’t know how to address the needs of the LGBTQ+ community.
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Publish date : 2024-10-08 17:42:00
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