The Beginning

HOPE’S KITCHEN, the brainchild of Rachel Higgins and Megan Lesczynski, began on November 6th, 1999. The idea started a year earlier during a unit on hunger in the girls’ religion class. At that time Megan and Rachel were 8^th –graders at the Mary Immaculate School in Kirksville, Missouri. The class got the girls wondering about hunger issues in their own town. They made a few phone calls to local service organizations and decided there was a need to be filled.

Hope's Kitchen makes free meals available to people who are homeless, have low-incomes, have trouble preparing their own meals or just need social interaction. Hope's Kitchen is not a soup kitchen, it is a free community meal. All people are served, no questions asked. Guests are served restaurant style to maintain a dignified atmosphere. While it is currently being run out of the Mary Immaculate Catholic Church cafeteria, Hope's Kitchen is not affiliated with the church. In fact, it relies on various religious and civic groups in the Kirksville area to provide the staff for cooking, serving, delivering, and cleaning.

In 2000, Rachel and Megan applied for a Feeding the Hungry Grant from the National 4-H Council and Kraft Foods. They asked for $620, but got $1,240! This money helped buy the portable billboard and some much-needed supplies to get the program off the ground. Today, Hope's Kitchen continues to grow thanks to donations and volunteer help from the ever generous and supportive community. There is a plan to expand to twice a month in January 2005.

Today

Megan and Rachel have gone to college. Hope's Kitchen is now in the able hands of Susan Walker and other community members as well as KCOM's division of APO. They are poised to expand and need your help!