Palm Beach Nonprofit Steps Up Amid Rising Hunger

The Kind Kitchen, a North Palm Beach-based nonprofit that provides meals to those in need, has seen demand nearly quadruple since last year.

To meet the growing need, the group that has been serving its community since 1987 has since grown into a full-scale operation, providing 2,100 people a month with nutritious meals, at minimum. Their message is simple: help everyone in need.

“If somebody needs food, and they are in a crisis, you just get together,” said Chani Ezagui, founder of The Kind Kitchen.

From Holocaust survivors, to veterans, to the underprivileged, The Kind Kitchen’s volunteers deliver fresh meals to people from all walks of life.

“We are nonsectarian,” said Ezagui.

She says the charity began “in a small temple basement,” and has since grown into the network of thousands of volunteers it is today

The name was thought up by Ezagui’s longtime friend, Barbara, who said to call it Kind Kitchen.

“I said to Barbara, “What name should we give it?” Because she was telling me that we were getting to the point where we really needed a name. So, she said, “Why not call it Kind Kitchen? What you do here is kind.’”

This organization took its dedication to new heights when it was one of the few Palm Beach area charities of its type that “never stopped” during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We only had a few people a day coming in, but we made it work. People were calling us saying “Do you deliver?’”

A man whose life has been irrevocably changed by The Kind Kitchen is Jeff Kornhauser.

Kornhauser’s wife was diagnosed with dementia in 2015, and her loss of independence has deeply impacted their family.

“My wife and I used to love to cook, but when she was diagnosed, it became almost impossible. Taking care of her is a difficult task, and requires the help of an aid. Kind Kitchen has completely taken the burden off, and has given us the opportunity to have Shabbat dinner again. They have brought some religion back into our lives, and I owe it to the amazing Chani who told me after our chance encounter meeting that if I gave her my name and address, she would take care of us.”

One major problem the charity faces, said Ezagui, is that they cannot produce meals fast enough.

The charity said the ovens and packing rooms are antiquated.

“We had some wonderful fundraisers that helped us get better ovens, but now we are working on the packaging room,” Ezagui laughed.

Keeva Epstein Crelan is an elderly woman, who has sustained numerous injuries, including a broken wrist, and compromised legs. She found out what Kind Kitchen was all about from a woman she met, while she was recuperating in rehab.

“Some wonderful gals at the rehab told me that I would need some help when I got home. They gave me the number to the wonderful Kind Kitchen. I thought I’d utilize them for a few months, and then allow them to move on to people who need more help than I do. But, to this day, they drive 26 miles to my home in Del Ray, every Friday, and refuse to stop. I try to give them a few dollars when I can.”

In Ezagui’s words, the reason this organization has had this type of impact on the local community comes down to its compassionate volunteers.

“I like to say we have an army of volunteers with a good heart,” she said. “Every bit of money we get, literally goes to the food.”

And, if you’d like to give the Kind Kitchen a call, odds are you’ll get Ezagui, herself, on the phone.

“I’m always here.”

For more information on how you can volunteer, visit thekindkitchen.org, or visit them at their Sunday booth, located at The Gardens GreenMarket is open from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the City Hall Municipal Campus, 10500 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens.