Momma Chef's Soup Kitchen To Open In Rogers Park

CHICAGO — A new soup kitchen is scheduled to open this fall in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Once a week on Tuesday evenings, Momma Chef's Soup Kitchen at Congregation K.I.N.S. will offer a four-course homemade hot dinner and bagged lunches to-go, at no cost to guests.

Karen Nochimowski, creator of the mommachef.com blog, will be opening and running the soup kitchen in partnership with Congregation K.I.N.S.

"Our mission is simple: to feed people in need regardless of their circumstances. The soup kitchen will provide healthy and nutritious meals to all who come through our doors," she said. "This includes the elderly, unemployed, underemployed, poor, and homeless – women, men and children."

Momma Chef's Soup Kitchen is scheduled to open on Oct. 16 at Congregation K.I.N.S., 2800 W North Shore Ave.

Rabbi Leonard Matanky said he's thrilled the synagogue will host the new soup kitchen.

"To care and provide for the less fortunate is a core Jewish value, and therefore, our synagogue is so very proud to host Momma’s Soup Kitchen," Matanky said. "We hope that this noble effort will not only provide for others, but will ennoble our members to cherish additional acts of “chesed” [loving kindness] as we reach out to share God’s goodness with others."

The kitchen will be feeding 80 to 100 guests weekly, Nochimowski said.

"What makes Momma Chef’s Soup Kitchen different than other charities: we will have no overhead," she said. "Everyone involved with this soup kitchen, including myself, will be donating their time."

The soup kitchen is accepting tax-deductible donations, and all funds will go toward meals, Nochimowski said.

"In order to serve 8,000 meals during the first year at no cost to our guests, the soup kitchen must be funded by generous donations and sustained by committed and compassionate volunteers," she explained. "Momma Chef menus will be used to create delicious and nutritious meals for about $700 per night – that’s about $4 per meal, less than the cost of a latte at our local coffee shop."

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