Who we are and how we serve
At Rooted in Outreach Community Kitchen, our heart is dedicated to serving the community through nourishing, wholesome meals. Every month, our volunteers prepare around 350 fresh meals that Awaken Church RVA delivers directly to homeless and motel-bound individuals across Chesterfield County. Beyond offering immediate relief, each meal serves as a meaningful bridge for further outreach—building trust, restoring dignity, and connecting our neighbors to vital resources that help lift families and individuals out of poverty.
Our Mission and Vision
At Rooted in Outreach Community Kitchen, our mission is to alleviate hunger and foster a sense of community by providing nutritious meals to those in need. We envision a community where no one goes hungry, and where compassion and support are readily available. Our commitment to excellence in every meal and every interaction drives us forward.
In this picture, three amazing volunteers are shredding chicken that was smoked on the barbeque before being made into delicious sandwiches!
Our Focus Areas:
1. Preparing and distributing meals to individuals experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, or housing instability within Chesterfield County, Virginia... currently we make ~350 meals per month to support Awaken Church RVA's Thursday Motel Ministry.
2. Coordinating volunteers and community resources to alleviate hunger and improve access to nutritious food.
3. Coordinating collection of food and necessities for food pantries and students within Chesterfield County, Virginia.
Our story
Rooted in Outreach Community Kitchen began in 2025 with a simple idea: to ensure no one in our community goes hungry. Hairdresser Mellone and cookie baker Mo wanted to make an Easter meal for the homeless and got sidetracked like everyone else does. But a couple months later, they found the right place, the right volunteers, definitely the right recipes, and the right organization to deliver 250 meals to. We handed out pulled chicken sandwiches and bean & rice burritos to the motel bound and homeless along US Route 1 in Chester, Virginia.
Within a day, the volunteers from the first event asked when we were doing it again, and we've done it every month since, making more and better meals that remind our neighbors that they are not forgotten. Something different, something special, handed out freely. What started as a small initiative, fueled by passion and dedicated volunteers, has grown into a bit of a movement. We are now officially incorporating as a non-profit, allowing us to expand our efforts and better serve the vulnerable. We currently make 350 hot meals on the third week of every month, and also collect food to support local pantries as well as students who should be focused on learning and not figuring out where the next meal is coming from. Our approach is deeply rooted in compassion, quality, and integrity, ensuring every meal we serve brings comfort and hope while serving to connect people to the community services that help raise them out of poverty.
Thank you to all of my amazing volunteers! They come from all over, including the parishioners of St Augustine Catholic Church (especially those from our amazing Food Pantry who serve in so many ways), St Barnabas Episcopal Church (who lend us both hands and their kitchen!), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Theresa and Raul, you ROCK!), Shining Light Pentecostal Church, and of course Awaken Church RVA who coordinates a legion of volunteers from all over to take our meals door-to-door! There are also people who come because they love their community! In ROCK's volunteer kitchen, all are truly welcome!
We approach our 3000th meal... according to the Bible, this occurred in Tabgha, a grassy hill above Galilee, and it happened much more quickly... to be fair, there weren't health regulations and I'm pretty sure our pasta with meatballs was better than some fish and bread (sorry, not sorry!), so we get a little more time to get there... and we will keep on doing what we do!
If you feel the call to help your neighbors as well, come join us as a volunteer or a donor. We are looking to grow and invite others to create a space where we can collectively take care of our community.
- Maureen "Mo" Davis-Berk, founder and a director at Rooted in Outreach Community Kitchen, coordinator of the Pantry at St Augustine Catholic Church
Supporting the Thursday Motel Ministry
"Knock, Knock! Outreach! We have food!"
A cornerstone of our monthly outreach is our strong partnership with the Thursday Motel Ministry of Awaken Church RVA. Led by Pastor Nick Jenkins and Pastor Paul Hutto, their dedicated teams take the our hot meals, along with meals they make or purchase when we are not cooking, and deliver them to unhoused and motel-bound neighbors along US Route 1 and across Chesterfield County. This is not just handing out some food as a goal, but instead food serves as an introduction between their team who genuinely care and people who may really need access to information, support, guidance, or just a hug and a prayer after some tough times.
Truly, the Motel Outreach program provides far more than essential sustenance—they build long-term relationships, restore dignity, offer prayer, and connect vulnerable families to life-changing local resources.
If you feel the call to connect with those in need, this may be your ministry! Come join an amazing group of volunteers who go door to door, motel after motel, to offer a meal prepared with love, every Thursday!
