- February 5, 2025
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There's an open table in Port Orange, and it's not in a restaurant; rather, it's at the Catholic Church of the Epiphany, where community members have come together to combine their skill sets to help homeless and low-income individuals become successful.
The Open Table model, a nationwide movement, found its way to Port Orange when Joe Villanella and Bill Nilles, both mission leaders, met the creator of the Open Table concept last December. What they learned was that the Diocese of Orlando had been the first diocese to sign on the program for use in Central Florida. The idea was brought back to the Catholic Church of the Epiphany, and the church became the third parish in the diocese to adopt the program.
Villanella and Nilles began by reaching out to Catholic Charities to find individuals who need assistance, and about five weeks ago they were partnered with a person who Nilles said needed "financial and spiritual help."
The two men also began seeking out citizens who were able to commit one hour a week for at least one year to offer assistance with their own unique skill set. Villanella said that he wanted to reach out to retired individuals who had extra free time and wanted to be involved in some way.
"Our pitch was, all of you folks sitting out there have a skill set that you used to navigate life to get to this point successfully," Villanella said. "How would you like to use that skill set to give somebody guidance and assistance?"
The feedback was positive, and there were soon enough people to have nine seats filled at the table each week. According to Nilles, the idea behind the model is to help individuals learn skills that will help them succeed, whether that is budgeting or having their car worked on. There is no writing blank checks, and if members do want to raise money, they may start a fundraiser such as a car wash.
Nilles said it is important to make sure that whoever they work with wants to be there and has a desire to get ahead in life and better themselves. He added that in other ministries, services are provided, but then individuals go their separate ways without truly receiving beneficial skills or help.
"We're giving them a fish sandwich, but we're not teaching them how to fish," Nilles said. "We're not changing anything in their lives."
Villanella said that the experience has been eye-opening for him. In particular, he realized that there are many skills that are taken for granted and that some people may not know about. He added that what might seem like a minor problem to some is a major problem for others because no one has trained them or shown them how to work through certain issues.
"None of us, I think, really think about the intricacies of what homelessness is like," Villanella said. "But I think 99% of us don't realize there's a lack of a complete skill set to navigate life, and that was the unsettling part for us to realize that and witness that."
Villanella and Nilles said they would like to expand the Open Table model to help more people while having a strong focus on helping the next generation. Nilles said he wants them to have goals and be able to break any negative cycles before they get older.
"You're trying to transform their lives by teaching them this skill set that they're not aware of," Villanella said. "There's a great deal of responsibility attached to it to do it the right way."
