District Fish and Pasta House in Kansas City, Missouri, fed 100 single mothers and their children in one night during the the city’s inaugural Black Feast Week.
Leeko Khalifah, owner of District Fish and Pasta House, told KHSB41, that he planned to open his restaurant at 6 p.m. Tuesday but the overwhelming response from Black single mothers prompted him to begin giving away food early.
The restaurateur said being raised by a single mother inspired him to give more than he’d initially planned.
“Knowing that struggle with my mother, us three, my brothers and sister…how she had to struggle just to make a meal for us sometimes…I understand,” he said.
Monique Bowls, a single mother living in Kansas City, spoke about the hardships associated with raising children and keeping food on the table. She said basic necessities grew heavier after the loss of her co-parent.
“A lot of people don’t have the help, get food stamps, have the help of family to get food or don’t have that money or financial resources,” Bowls said. “This right here, what they’re doing, is real powerful, real powerful and strong.”
The people of Missouri are not the only ones facing food insecurity in the United States.
According to Feeding America, “in 2023, 27% of Black children lived in food insecure households. That’s 1 in 4 Black children without reliable access to food.”
As Bowls pointed out, many families are ineligible for government assistance. Organizations like Feeding America are partnering with Black-led food banks across the nation to help families in need.
If you would like to volunteer Feeding America provides a database and volunteer, form on its website to help you find a food bank near you.
RELATED CONTENT: Meet The Chefs Cooking Up a Culinary Renaissance in Charlotte