Nourished Neighborhood: Community Meals
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Chef Traci Calderon feeding our community at Atrium Kitchen at Pike Place Market
Our story
Background: Nourished Neighborhood
Nourished Neighborhood: Community Meal was started in February 2017 by Chef Traci Calderon, a chef and food entrepreneur, looking to fill a gap and create and connect community by serving a hot multi-course meal. Chef Traci discovered there was a gap in meals served to the senior and low-income community, and decided to make it an inclusive shared meal where guests from all facets of Pike Place Market and the downtown Seattle community can come and share a meal together.
In March 2020, when the COVID-19 Pandemic began to sweep through our country, Nourished Neighborhood shifted gears and we began preparing free delivered meals to home bound seniors and people living with food insecurity throughout Downtown Seattle, and the Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, Belltown and Ballard neighborhoods.
We are only able to continue doing this with the support of our community - either through in-kind donations or monetary contributions.
Volunteers ready to serve a scrumptious Nourished Neighborhood lunch!
community impact
Our Vision and Mission: NOURISH 100%
The goal of Nourished Neighborhood is to provide a hot, nourishing multi-course meal free of charge to all guests while providing the opportunity for guests to connect while sharing the meal. Chef Calderon believes true nourishment goes beyond food, but also includes human connection through conversation. This is what we mean when we say Nourish 100%.
As of August 2022, over 50,000 meals have been served to home bound seniors and people living with food insecurity since March 13, 2020.
Donations are accepted, either in-kind food donations or monetary contributions.
Over 30 volunteers arrived on Thanksgiving morning 2018 to serve nearly 250 guests who are either living homeless or are experiencing food insecurity.
volunteers
Volunteers staff Nourished Neighborhood, under the direction and guidance of Chef Calderon. Volunteers as young as 9 years old have helped serve our community. Employees and groups have volunteered, including employees of SABA Architects, cyclists from Beautiful Bike in Fremont, Bloom Projects staff, Wells Fargo, Visit Seattle, and members of the United States Coast Guard.