The Open Table

Preparing for Thanks

Jon Katov — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 03:25:17 +0000

Today, Thanksgiving day, a Brother who had been lifted out of poverty by a Table in Arizona sat at our family Table. He showed us a just published cook book that contains his photographs and design work. From poverty to published. There are 40 million stories like our Brotherâ€™s waiting to be createdâ€¦and toldâ€¦and lived. Is there a greater enriching of our communities we could pray to experience than the return of such Amen human potential to our society. Bring a Table to your community. Partner with someone in poverty to come home. Faith.

Shared Purpose

Jon Katov — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:36:08 +0000

Darcy, I hope your travels were great! As we discussed, a shared vision to lift each other up can change the world. I look forward to getting together soon and finding ways to partner. Darcy, thank you for lifting me up on that flight. Faith, Brother, Jon

Video: How a Table Operates

Jon Katov — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:22:25 +0000

In this video, table members and community partners generously donated their time to help Open Table produce a video which tells the story of how a Table operates. Also, Open Table’s founder and CEO, Jon Katov, shares his passion for the Open Table Poverty Transformation Movement. Since Table volunteers and community partners collaborate to serve impoverished families, the views of these Table participants provide a great perspective on the work of Open Table.

From Tucson to Flagstaff

Jon Katov — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:19:07 +0000

News that the faith, government, business and non-profit communities can collaborate to restore people in poverty to the community is traveling across Arizona. In about 60 days, Pantano Christian Church in Tucson will launch the first Table in Pima County. Pima County has more than 500 faith communities. Three hundred miles north, in Flagstaff, we are now in the launch planning process with congregations located in Coconino County, with more than 125 faith communities. Soon, we’ll announce that Tables will be launching in a country 7,000 miles from Phoenix!

Open Table 2009 Annual Report

Jon Katov — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:43:00 +0000

2009 was a year of tremendous growth and accomplishment for Open Table. We are proud to post our first Annual Report for review! A few key highlights are:

Wildflower Bread Company is Open Table’s first Business Sector Partner.
Open Table launched its first corporate Table with Multi-Systems, Inc. (MSI),
The Arizona Collaboration for a New Century recognized Open Table as a Blue Ribbon Agency.
A commitment for an additional ten COP Tables was announced following the 2009 City of Phoenix Faith-based Summit where Open Table’s Neighborhood Roots System Initiative was featured.

Read the complete report here (3.90 MB PDF file)

Open Table Selected as Blue Ribbon Agency

Jon Katov — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:28:38 +0000

Open Table and LeaderForce Team Members

In early 2009, Open Table was selected as a Blue Ribbon Agency by the Arizona Collaboration for a New Century. As part of its Arizona LeaderForce Initiative, the Collaboration utilizes a rigorous screening process to identify six social service agencies annually that have proven results in meeting the needs of low-income people in our communities. The Collaboration targets agencies that make the most difference in helping people overcome poverty. These Blue Ribbon agencies receive technical assistance from business executives in a one-year partnership to build their capacity and expand their impact in the community.

The team of professionals who volunteered to serve as Open Table’s 2009 Coaches applied their professional skills to help Open Table develop tools to accelerate the agency’s growth. The year’s work culminated in final presentations by all six agencies in early December. Mary Ritter, Team Coach and Everest College President, commented “It was very gratifying to work with an agency that is so innovative and has had such an impact in transforming the lives of families in poverty.” Jon Katov, Founder and CEO of Open Table shared his perspective on the experience, “ AZ LeaderForce facilitates the investment of new intellectual capital from business professionals to help nonprofits increase their impact in the community. The experience added value for our organization, and we are grateful.”

Open Table wishes to acknowledge the leadership of Steve Capobres and Rodo Sofranac from the Collaboration for a New Century in this yearlong process. Additionally, many thanks to our Team of Coaches who included Mary Ritter, Roger Adair – University of Phoenix, Chris Anderson – University of Phoenix and Joel Bjerkestrand, retired clergy/Adjunct Professor – Western International University.

More About the Arizona Collaboration for a New Century
The Mission: “Building partnerships, engaging leaders”
The Collaboration facilitates partnerships and cultivates leadership for the purpose of pursuing God’s best for vulnerable people – moving the Valley of the Sun forward toward becoming the City of the Future. The Collaboration has been working since 1999 to build partnerships to assist our most effective service agencies to bring real change for the poor and suffering in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. This includes encouraging investment and strengthening the capacity of programs that are making a difference along with forging public/private partnerships that meet basic needs. Visit the Collaboration online at thecollab.org.

Master Licensing is a Foundation for Future Growth

Jon Katov — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:05:12 +0000

Open Table is developing a master licensing concept with an east valley transitional shelter/program and a large faith community. The transitional program has relationships with faith communities and corporations that support it. Over time, the objective of a master license agreement is for the transitional shelter to implement the Open Table model by marketing to and licensing faith communities and corporations with which it has connections, training them and providing candidates for their Tables..with the support of Open Table. The faith community will follow the same path: expanding and training Tables within its own congregation and inviting others in the denomination to become licensed. As the Master Licensee process comes on line, Open Table will dramatically increase its ability to expand in new areas. This concept is a key element of our future growth plans.

Serving Refugee Families

Jon Katov — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:25:27 +0000

Tables will serve people who have fled war and persecution in Somalia, Rwanda, Iraq, Liberia to come to the US as refugees. More faith communities with a mission outreach to help refugees are adopting the Open Table model to strengthen these families as they join our communities. We interviewed a Somali woman for a Table forming at a church in Gilbert, AZ that is actively engaged in serving Arizona’s refugees. Caught in the civil war, almost all of her family except a brother was killed. She walked to Kenya and lived in refugee camps until she was relocated to Arizona. She has five children, speaks little English and washes dishes for employment. When we asked about her vision for the future, she wants an English education, a career in computers and a safe place for her children to live. With her Table starting, her restoration has begun!

Starting Over After Prison

Jon Katov — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:12:42 +0000

Tonight, we interviewed a man serving time for a drug charge. His wife and two children fell in to poverty when he became incarcerated. Now, the family struggles to make ends meet and lives in a converted garage. As we explain the details of the Open Table model, he stands up and walks around the table to hug us in tears… Watching this dad with his family makes it clear that while they lack many things, there is an abundance of love between them all. This inmate will join a re-entry Table at a church in South Phoenix that is ready to welcome him and his family. During the first few months of Table operation, Table meetings will need to be held in the prison for the inmate and at the church for the family until his release when the Table will meet united. Open Table’s collaboration with the correctional system seeks to halt recidivism by restoring families to the community. A second re-entry Table is forming now with plans for others to follow.

First Native American Table

Jon Katov — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:52:02 +0000

We have made three trips to the Tohono O’odham Nation. Invited by the faith community, we have been welcomed by churches, government and non-profit organizations that want to form a Table in the Nation. In December, will travel to the Nation to present to people who are interested in serving on this Table.