Jonathan’s Place 1st Employee Has Given Thousands of Abused Children Full Bellies, Big Smiles
Dorothy Feagins has prepared meals for presidents and celebrities, but her real pride is cooking for the abused and neglected children at Jonathan’s Place. To these children, she’s known as ‘Ms. Dorothy’ and she will celebrate 20 years of service to them on January 30, 2015.
In 1995, Ms. Dorothy became the first full-time employee of Jonathan’s Place, Dallas County’s only emergency shelter for children aged newborn to 17. Every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all snacks are orchestrated by the energetic 74-year-old (she’s never shy about sharing her age). We estimate that she has prepared more than 500,000 meals for the children in our care.
“She is a delight,” said Jonathan’s Place CEO Allicia Graham Frye. “She never fails to put a smile on my face, make sure I’ve eaten lunch, or talk with visitors about all we do at Jonathan’s Place. Those, along with her complete devotion to the children here, make her an incredible part of our care team.”
In 2009, Jonathan’s Place named their dining hall in the Rees-Jones Foundation Lodge “Dorothy’s Kitchen” for her devoted service.
“I’ve given my life to these children, and if my meals make their lives better, the long hours spent in the heat of the kitchen are all worth it,” Ms. Dorothy said when asked about her longevity at Jonathan’s Place.
Ms. Dorothy is open to media interviews, but only with a word of caution: bring an empty stomach and a big note pad. She has 20 years of stories to share.