Appropriations Requests for

Capuchin Soup Kitchen

Posted Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 4:03 PM;

Sponsoring legislator

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Stephanie Chang
  • Cosponsoring legislators' names (if applicable):
    Joseph Bellino, John Damoose, Dan Lauwers
  • Physical address of legislatively directed spending item recipient and the intended location of the project or activity:
    Recipient Location: 1820 Mt. Elliot St. Detroit, MI 48207. Project Location: Parcels of 1752, 1760, 1768, 1774 Meldrum Ave, Detroit MI 48207
  • The recipient's employer identification number:
    381525161
  • Requested amount of the legislatively directed spending item:
    $6,000,000.00
  • What is the purpose and how does the legislatively directed spending item provide a public benefit that is an appropriate use of taxpayer money?
    Funding will support a nonprofit organization in the construction of a new mix-ed use building that will house the Reaching Our Potential Everyday (ROPE) Program known as the Bake House. ROPE opened in 2006 as a program to assist in breaking the cycle of dependency that occur in the lives of the guests of the soup kitchen. The program, which spans one-year, allows eight recently sober men a work-training environment that provides food, housing, and utilities; pays minimum wage; and prepares residents to reintegrate themselves into society while focusing on their sobriety. The rehabilitation program has had a 65% success rate over five years, which is above the national average. This building, along with the programs that it houses, is a continuation of the state of Michigan’s work to combat addiction and encourage reentry into society. The new Bake House will be located directly across the street from the Meldrum meal site and the Solanus Casey Center, bringing ROPE participants closer to the rest of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen organization. T he building will have 5,400 square feet on the first floor that will house the kitchen, office space, conference rooms, and other training areas, while the 3,500 square feet on the second floor will have eight bedrooms, four bathrooms, two laundry rooms, a shared kitchen, and other common space. Funds in this request are solely for the construction of the new building, as the program itself is sustained from private sources. The baked goods produced from the Bake House are then sold at their café, which results in revenue of approximately $250,000 per year. The organization is prepared to contribute $600,000, or 10% of the total project costs, in equity towards the construction of the building.
  • Has the legislatively directed spending item previously received or been awarded any of the following types of funding in the past 5 years?
  • If so, how?
  • Estimated time frame for completion of the legislatively directed spending item project:
    March 1, 2027 and be completed by July 1, 2028
  • Has the nonprofit corporation continuously operated in this state for the preceding 36 months?
    Yes
  • Has the nonprofit corporation had a physical office in this state for not less than the preceding 12 consecutive months?
    Yes
  • Does the nonprofit corporation have a board of directors?
    Yes
  • List all of the officers and active members on the board of directors:
    Mark Costello, President; Diane Simpkins, Secretary/Treasurer; William Hugo; Nicholas Blattner; Tien Dinh; Biju Parakkalayil

Certification By Sponsoring Legislator

  • "I certify that my immediate family members, legislative staff members, and I have no direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the requested legislatively directed spending item."
  • "I certify that the intended recipient of this legislatively directed spending item is not a for-profit entity."
  • "I certify that the information in this form is true to the best of my knowledge."
  • Senator Stephanie Chang