KC Cares: NourishKC delivers on a big promise

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You don’t have to prove anything to get a hot meal at NourishKC. The organization, located at 750 Paseo Blvd., serves “anyone who walks through our doors.”

“We are a zero-barrier facility. No questions asked. People don’t need to show I.D. or any type of need just to access a meal,” says Mandi Jean Retter, executive director of NourishKC.

For years, NourishKC has been providing free lunch Monday through Friday. Now, the organization is expanding its offerings.

Retter estimated that 60% of people who were having lunch with them Monday through Friday last year wouldn’t get to eat at all on Saturday and Sunday due to a lack of food options for their clientele in Jackson County.

That’s all changing this month, as NourishKC has started serving lunch seven days a week.   

“I honestly think we’re going to double our numbers on the weekends because people won’t be beholden to being at work. They’re going to be able to drive in and pick up four meals for their family,” Retter says.

Her next goal is to launch a dine-in dinner program by May 31. That will be dependent on finding the funding to have enough staff to do it.

One thing that’s different about NourishKC compared to other food facilities is that meals are served restaurant style, not with a cafeteria line.

“We feel that there’s a lot of dignity behind that. When you’re not standing in a line and having an awkward eye-contact moment with someone, you can sit down like you’re in a restaurant, just like a normal person, and it just so happens that your meal is free,” Retter says.

Food insecurity groups from other cities have visited to study NourishKC’s restaurant model and hopefully duplicate it.

“I like to say that Nourish is an unofficial community center. We have people who come every day because they feel safe. They get to see other people they know,” Retter says. “The one question we will ask is, ‘How are you?’”

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Retter likes to keep birthday cakes on hand so that they can have an impromptu celebration for anyone. More than that, she likes to talk with the people who come in and really get to know them.

“I had a woman that was in yesterday. I haven’t seen her in two months. I was in a meeting with someone, and she walked up behind me and gave me the biggest hug. I said, ‘I have been so worried about you. Are you ok?’ She goes, ‘I knew you’d be worried about me! I’m good. I got a job. I’m doing really well,’” Retter says.

She feels strongly that the human connection is just as important as the food they provide at NourishKC.

“Sometimes, it just takes someone to care. I can’t tell you how many conversations over the last year I’ve had with this woman where she’s come in crying and down. Giving people encouragement and connecting on a social level over a meal is something that people like you and I take for granted. That type of support just skyrockets people. It helps them feel like, ‘I’ve got somebody in my corner. I can do this,’” Retter says.

Retter says that another man who comes in regularly likes that she always checks in with him about how many days he’s been able to stay sober.

From last January to October, the number of meals NourishKC served on a daily basis increased dramatically, from approximately 300 to 400 meals to 600 to 900. Part of the increase is because those who come for lunch also can take home a meal for dinner.

One day, they served hamburgers, which Retter says can be a rarity for those who eat with them. The meal was so popular that they ran out after an hour and a half.

They made more burgers and ran out again after another 30 minutes. But because they’re committed to being open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Retter wasn’t going to close the doors due to a lack of ingredients. She and her staff quickly prepped fried chicken and chicken salad sandwiches instead.

“We’re going to keep an eye on the traffic throughout the day. We’re going to keep making food. And if that door is open until 2 o’clock, we’re going to ensure that every single person who shows up gets a meal. That consistency is so important to people,” Retter says. “I know six people that jump off that bus line at Admiral and Paseo every single day at 1:55, and they run to our building so they can get their one meal of the day. If we ran out of food and we closed our doors, those six people would not have anything to eat for at least 24 hours.”

NourishKC’s journey began with one parishioner at Grace & Holy Cathedral who decided to feed one houseless man. Word spread, and soon, hundreds were coming to the church for a meal. That later developed into Episcopal Community Services.

Retter says NourishKC spun off from Episcopal Community Services about 15 years ago and is no longer religiously affiliated.

Many of its diners aren’t necessarily houseless. A person might have a job and a place to live but still be food insecure, and that can feel embarrassing. Retter says that once they started doing take-out meals during the pandemic, this need became a lot more apparent.

“They don’t want to go somewhere and have to admit they need something as basic as food. Coming to our kitchen and being able to get a to-go meal and go back to their place and go eat in their own space has allowed us to reach a larger group of people that we didn’t know existed,” she says.

The food in NourishKC’s kitchen comes from its food rescue program, a partnership with local restaurants, grocery stores, and distributors. It’s stuff that’s near its expiration date or might not look perfect. What they don’t use to make meals, they redistribute to 14 local food pantries.

Volunteers are essential for them to prep ingredients, serve food, plate to-go meals, and clean dishes. They’ll also take help transporting food rescue items.

You can register as an individual or as a group of up to 15 people. Kids ages 10 to 13 can volunteer, but they have to have an adult with them. Teens and adults 14 and older can volunteer on their own.

For more information, visit nourishkc.org/get-involved/volunteer