BOISE, Idaho — Have you heard about the Boise Kitchen Collective? It's a group of community members who organize weekly hot meals for those in need.
It's not a charity, just people who care and want to help. No one is paid and everyone donates their time and talents to make these meals happen every Wednesday. The motto of the organization is: Everyone has the right to good food cooked with love.
Liz Cayde is just one of the many volunteers who makes the Boise Kitchen Collective (BKC) happen each week. They get together to serve a warm meal each Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m. at Rhodes Skate Park in downtown Boise. This week's gathering was all about giving.
"We are here celebrating Thanksgiving with some of our friends," Cayde said. "We bring hot meals out here to the community every week, and this week we're doing it again but for Thanksgiving. Tonight, on our menu we have breakfast burritos, chicken quesadillas, rice and beans, and the traditional Thanksgiving dinner."
The Boise Kitchen Collective operates in a really unique way.
"Every week we just have random members sign up," Cayde explained. "Any member of the community is more than welcome to participate."
Those volunteers sign up to bring a warm home-cooked meal to share, enough to feed about 8 to 12 people. Then the food is spread out on a table and those who show up can choose from the buffet.
The food and this community feel a lot like home, especially on Thanksgiving week.
"I had turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberries, just the whole Thanksgiving dinner," said Robert Peck, a guest of the BKC Wednesday night. "It means the world to me, all these people who are homeless, it really helps them out and I want to personally thank the people who are serving it to help this community."
"I think it's great, it's amazing. I'm just thankful to be here with all these people, just to be here in general."
Another woman said she had just moved to Idaho and is living on the streets. She, too, expressed her gratitude for a hot meal for Thanksgiving.
"I've been homeless for 13 plus years," Keira said. "It means I don't get to starve today, and it means being thankful for everything you get and not taking it for granted."
The Boise Kitchen Collective is proving that people working together with a lot of heart can make a difference for those in need. It just takes a little planning and a lot of love.
"Every week on Wednesday's, you can find us right here," said Cayde.
This BKC community meal is open to all, no matter your circumstances.
"This is open to anybody! Our only requirement is that you are here and you're hungry, that's all we ask. We don't ask questions," said Cayde.
These Boise Kitchen Collective volunteers just want to serve some comfort food for the soul. That's why they are at Rhodes Skate Park each Wednesday.
If you need a warm meal, just show up at Rhodes Skate Park on any given Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcomed with open arms.
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