Every Sunday, KC Kosher Meals on Wheels delivers homemade kosher meals cooked in the Torah Learning Center kitchen to seniors and people with disabilities in the Greater Kansas City area. The program aims to expand its reach to serve more Jewish community members in need.
Recipients receive five entrees, two soups, two fruits, a bag of bread and a dessert weekly. Vegetarian and low-sodium options and accommodations for other dietary restrictions are available. No other Meals on Wheels program in the Kansas City area currently provides a fully vegetarian or custom dietary accommodation food plan. Special traditional foods are made during Jewish holidays, and all meals during Passover are kosher for Passover.
Those eligible for KC Kosher Meals on Wheels include Jewish community members who are age 60 and older, or under 60 if homebound, disabled or experiencing a short or long-term medical condition (including but not limited to hospital patients, pregnant mothers and new parents unable or struggling to cook for themselves). There are no fees for KC Kosher Meals on Wheels services, and recipients do not need to keep kosher at home to be eligible.
“It meant a great deal to my mother to be able to have this food; her nurses told me many times that even when Mom had very little appetite, she would eat and enjoy the food and other items [that were] brought,” said the child of a KC Kosher Meals on Wheels recipient. “It also allowed her to speak with other residents and staff about her Jewish life and how much it meant to her.”
More information and client applications are available at torahkc.org/koshermeals or by calling Esther Friedman at (913) 710-1900.
Volunteering
Since KC Kosher Meals on Wheels began in 2013, it has grown to serve over 150 people in need and deliver 25,000 meals a year. It is looking for volunteers to assist with cooking, packaging and delivering meals. Alternate delivery drivers and kitchen assistants are also needed for all shifts as an on-call position for instances when a regularly scheduled volunteer is unable to attend. This position is ideal for volunteers with once or twice-a-month availability for a two-hour shift.
Volunteers are needed as kitchen assistants on Monday mornings, from 9 to 11 a.m. or 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Tuesday mornings from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kitchen assistants help prepare ingredients, make sauces, use spices and process meats and fish. Both shifts assist with cooking. During the second shift, volunteers help package and organize meals for storage until the upcoming delivery day.
Sunday afternoon shifts from 2 to 4 p.m. are available to bake desserts. Evening shifts can also be scheduled.
Volunteering for KC Kosher Meals on Wheels has provided opportunities to meet new people and make friends.
“A huge part of the program is the social aspect,” said Chaya Niedzwiecki, kitchen director. “The volunteers really enjoy each other’s company and look forward to working together every week.”
Some cooking experience may be helpful, but it is not necessary. Organizers say that many volunteers begin with few kitchen skills and go on to grow their knowledge and confidence.
All meals served in the KC Kosher Meals on Wheels program are homemade.
“Because of the volunteers and the people that work here, we are able to give our food the extra love and care that the people we serve appreciate and can taste,” Niedzwiecki said. “On holidays, special meals are prepared with traditional foods, and all meals during Passover are kosher for Passover.”
Additional volunteers will reach more community members in need and will allow an increase in quality and attention to detail during the cooking process. This includes using more fresh vegetables; expanding the menu to include more complex meals and desserts; and increasing variety in meal plans from week to week.
“Our client list is growing,” said Levi Friedman, program director. “Since COVID, we have not been able to get the robust amount of volunteers that we used to have to keep the kitchen full and running smoothly. We would like to get back to what we were and even more.”
As KC Kosher Meals on Wheels increases the number of community members it serves, delivery drivers are needed on Sundays to bring meals to client homes. Arrival is requested between 10 and 11 a.m. with a time commitment between 30 minutes and two hours, depending on the route.
At least one reference and a brief phone interview are required before becoming a volunteer. Jewish volunteers and their immediate family members are preferred. KC Kosher Meals on Wheels staff can provide references for anyone volunteering for more than six months.
Henri Gaeddert, Torah Learning Center community outreach coordinator, can be contacted for more information and signing up at or (913) 385-5770 x7. Those interested can also apply directly at torahkc.org/koshermeals.