Santo Domingo Dining Hall Issues Urgent Appeal: Needs More Partners

The Santo Domingo Dining Hall has issued an urgent call for public support: it needs to increase its base of collaborating members as soon as possible, which currently stands at around 800. Their contributions, which are voluntary in both amount and frequency, represent about 40% of the annual budget, exceeding 500,000 euros. The charity considers this contribution crucial "to ensure the financial stability of the project and the continuity of its essential programs." The call emphasizes the message that if new collaborating members are not added "urgently," "there is a real risk of compromising the economic stability of the project and its ability to maintain the level of care."

The dining hall operates with a financial structure that includes, on one side, collaborating members, as well as one-time donations and public subsidies. It indicates that it depends on stable income from members to be able to meet its annual budget, more than half of which is allocated to staff to ensure dignified care.

11 people work at the dining hall

to which two interns are added. This is the staffing for its administrative offices, the kitchen, the dining area, cleaning, technical staff, and security.

Currently, this human team consists of eleven people plus two interns. This is the staffing for its administrative offices, the kitchen, the dining area, cleaning, as well as technical and security personnel. "There is no margin to reduce staff without compromising the quality of service," the dining hall states in a release, a call that was also communicated this Thursday during the presentation of its new solidarity campaign under the slogan 'Invisibles', an initiative that seeks to give visibility to all the people who support the work of the dining hall. The campaign, which can now be seen throughout the city, uses black and white photographs of the faces of those who make the project possible and those who receive assistance to show that "behind each plate served, each accompaniment, each interview or therapeutic session, there are men and women whose collective work builds hope and offers 'firstly, another chance', as the entity's motto goes."

Active programs: food, social intervention, and psychological care

Currently, the Santo Domingo Dining Hall maintains several active programs. Firstly, the basic food and shelter program, which is the entry point for people in severe exclusion or homelessness and offers breakfast, lunch, and a dinner bag from Monday to Saturday throughout the year, a provision that extends on Sundays by virtue of an agreement with the Brotherhood Association. Last year, the dining hall served 993 people through this program.

Additionally, the social intervention program, which helped 960 beneficiaries in 2024, manages their documentation, carries out procedures, and accesses public resources, in coordination with other entities, with the ultimate goal of achieving autonomy and social inclusion of the beneficiaries. Thirdly, the psychological support program, which provides specialized individual attention to people in vulnerable situations, life crises, or mental health issues. Last year, sixty people received emotional support through this program. Lastly, there is the program of direct financial aids to occasionally cover basic urgent needs such as child nutrition, medication, school supplies, housing, utilities, or emergencies, which in 2024 assisted a total of 2,214 people.