Serving Meals With Meaning — How a Fort Worth Nonprofit Is Bringing Together Chefs and Community to Help Those in Need

After grabbing drinks at Brewed’s bar, over two dozen guests filtered into the Fort Worth restaurant and coffee bar’s private dining room, eagerly awaiting a multi-course meal from Chef Steve Hoogeboom. The room carried a palpable excitement around the evening’s offerings by the 61 Osteria chef de cuisine.

The bread service — baked lavash served with whipped lardo and a finely chopped garnish — was delicious and unfussy. The roasted beet salad followed and delivered a bright, seasonal balance. Served on a generous spread of creamy risotto, the pork belly struck a pleasant balance, neither overly fatty nor aggressively crisp. The crowd favorite that evening was the closer, a white bean miso panna cotta served over a fermented mushroom caramel. Candied peanuts finished the plate with just the right crunch.

Meals With Meaning’s New Supper Club Series

The supper club series was recently launched by Kirk Oldham, who founded Meals With Meaning to serve chef-prepared meals to those in need. Throughout the evening, Hoogeboom introduced each plate while Oldham told the crowd about his work collaborating with local chefs to prepare meals for local homeless shelters. The goal of the supper club, Oldham said that evening, is to raise money and awareness for Meals With Meaning, a nonprofit that has served over 33,000 meals across Tarrant County.

“Our vision is to eventually have a warehouse and facility where we can bring food, prepare it, and get it out to the people,” he added. “We’re very glad you guys are here. This is a very grassroots operation, and we hope to see you again.”

From Fine-Dining Kitchens to Sobriety and Newfound Purpose

Oldham credits his journey to sobriety with guiding him toward his current charitable mission. After entering the foodservice industry at age 30, he went on to work at Grace, 61 Osteria, City Works, The Tipsy Oak, and other local restaurants. Despite his experience in well-regarded restaurants, Oldham prefers the title “cook” over chef. Through much of his adulthood, he struggled with addiction, which he only overcame in recent years.

“I was doing a lot of soul searching,” he tells PaperCity Fort Worth. “I was a cook and had a car, but I was basically homeless. I realized really quickly I needed something better to do with my time. One day, I realized I had access to ingredients, so I decided to make food to donate.”

He began by cooking meals and taking them to East Lancaster, where he and a small group fed about 20 people. The moment that stayed with him most was serving a barefoot, nine-months-pregnant woman who sat beside him in the rain to eat. Her gratitude made the experience personal and immediate.

A Growing Mission and Need for Support

Oldham began collaborating with the chefs he knew to expand his efforts to help people at Arlington Life Shelter. Through his monthly work at the Arlington shelter, he realized that many people seeking help were working, housed, but still struggled to put food on the table.

“I think the great thing about chefs is that they genuinely love to cook,” he says. “Our events allow them to reconnect with the whole reason they wanted to cook in the first place.”

Meals With Meaning recently began partnering with Chef Hao Tran, founder of Hao’s Grocery & Café. Each week, the organization distributes free food boxes to families in need at the Near Southside grocery. Tran, who was a guest at the recent supper club, says Kirk is “deeply committed to feeding as many people as he can, bringing chefs and the community together through his work.”

With funds from the new supper club series, Oldham hopes to buy a large van to transport food and further support Meals With Meaning’s mission.

“We really want to keep feeding the community,” he says. “These events help us connect with people who have the heart to give, who love to cook, and who love to hand out food. This is what I know. I’m just a cook at the end of the day.”