A faith-based program trying to improve the lives of people living in poverty is looking to expand in Chautauqua County.

The program is called The Open Table and started in Chautauqua County in 2011. Jon Katov, The Open Table founder and chief executive officer, spoke to Jamestown City Council earlier this month about the program in the Jamestown community. He said by working with Chautauqua Tapestry, The Open Table model has impacted six local community members who have been served by tables started by local churches: Kidder Memorial United Methodist Church; Fluvanna Community Church; Gerry Free Methodist Church; Zion Covenant Church; Jamestown Free Methodist Church; Kiantone Congregational Church; Levant Wesleyan Church; Busti Church of God; Bemus Point United Methodist Church; and Christ First United Methodist Church.

The mission of The Open Table is to train church congregation members to form communities – called tables – that transform their vocational and life experiences into tools for those living in poverty, which they can use to develop and implement plans to create change. A table is formed by 10-12 volunteers who bring their vocational and life experiences along with their personal networks to an impoverished family for approximately one year. Together, with the person being helped, the table develops and implements a customized lifeplan to empower those in poverty to live to their fullest potential.

Katov said Chautauqua County is one of only three nationwide communities awarded funds through a federal System of Care grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to partner with Open Table. Katov, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, said when he was in town earlier this month, he was here to help expand the program to more church congregations in Chautauqua County. An exploration event was held at the Bemus Point United Methodist Church with Katov, County Executive Vince Horrigan and others locally who have participated or been helped by The Open Table program.

”The Jamestown faith community and the system of care that exists in Chautauqua County helped pioneer the Open Table model in New York state, and it has now expanded to 17 states,” Katov said. ”Now they are bringing all of the learning and experience to congregations across the county to help families and strengthen communities.”

According to The Open Table website – theopentable.org – the concept first began in late 2005 with a chance encounter with a homeless man. Members of a church youth group and adult members serving meals at Central Arizona Shelter Services in Phoenix met a homeless man named Ernie. He simply asked if he could come worship at their church.

The adult youth workers agreed to come the very next day to bring Ernie to their church service. Over the next few months, these church members brought Ernie to the church and back to the shelter each Sunday. Ernie’s presence gave the church members a chance to use their vocation, life experiences and networks to help Ernie restore himself into the community. They convened a group of church members to form a table with Ernie.

The table met every week for eight months to develop and implement a stability plan to help Ernie access opportunities and overcome obstacles in areas including employment, housing, health care and transportation to empower his re-entry into the community. The coordinated efforts of the table paved the way for Ernie to become an economically stable and a productive member of the community. Katov led that first group of volunteers who partnered with Ernie. For more information on Chautauqua Tapestry, visit chautauquatapestry.org.