Who Can Visit?
NourishKC Community Kitchen serves anyone in Kansas City who needs a meal. The kitchen offers free or low-cost meals to make sure no one goes hungry, regardless of their situation. Visitors do not need an appointment to come for a meal. Everyone is welcome.
Good to Know
Meals are served Monday through Friday from 12 PM to 3 PM at 750 Paseo Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64106. Visitors can reach the kitchen by phone at 816-800-0889. Guests are served a full meal in a restaurant-style setting. Reviewers say you can expect to come in hungry and leave well-fed. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and staff treat every guest with respect and dignity.
Food & Essentials
The kitchen prepares fresh, nutritious meals every day using rescued food from partners like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. These meals are called "Chef's Choice" and are crafted to meet dietary guidelines, with a focus on healthy proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Guests can choose their entree, sides, beverage, and dessert. The kitchen also runs the Daily Pantry program, which provides essential food items including dry goods, canned items, and seasonal fresh produce so that individuals and families can prepare nutritious meals at home.
How to Pick Up
NourishKC Community Kitchen serves meals in a restaurant-style setting. Volunteers bring food to guests at their tables. Guests are offered a choice of entree, sides, beverage, and dessert. This is not a cafeteria line or take-away only setup. Every guest is seated and served with care.
Additional Support
Beyond daily meals, NourishKC offers several other ways to help the community:
- Daily Pantry: Pick up dry goods, canned foods, and seasonal fresh produce to cook healthy meals at home.
- Food Redistribution Network: Surplus food is shared with partner pantries across Kansas City to reach more people in need.
- Nourish U Online Education Platform: Free cooking classes, live demonstrations, and instructional videos that teach people how to prepare healthy meals using common ingredients. Recipes and nutrition guides are also available through pantry networks.
- Culinary Futures Workforce Development Program: A 16-week culinary training program that includes hands-on kitchen experience, industry certifications (such as ServSafe), college credits through MCC, job placement support, financial literacy workshops, and mental health resources.
- Wraparound Social Services: Through a network of social service partners, NourishKC can connect people with help for housing, childcare, transportation, and job training.
Ways to Give
NourishKC is a program of The Prospect KC, a non-profit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The organization's EIN is 84-4576270. You can make a donation online at zeffy.com/donation-form/4cbbea86-ab04-4916-bd3b-964c5fb92570. For more information, you can contact the office at 816-561-8920, located at 11 East 40th St., Kansas City, MO 64111, open Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM.
How to Join the Team?
Volunteers are a core part of NourishKC. There are several ways to help, including floor service, morning kitchen prep (helping with salads, fruits, desserts, and line setup), and meal plating during service. Volunteer shifts happen in a real working commercial kitchen where Culinary Futures students are also training, so all volunteers follow staff direction at all times.
To sign up for a volunteer shift, visit theprospectkc.app.neoncrm.com/forms/volunteer. Groups of five or more people can also fill out a group sign-up form on the website. You will need to provide your name, email, phone number, and an emergency contact. Volunteers must agree to a release of liability, a media release, a confidentiality agreement, and an acknowledgment of the training environment before their first shift.