PHILADELPHIA – The South Philly non-profit Young Chances Foundation holds a community kitchen to provide free meals to residents.

What we know:

A community kitchen in South Philly provides more than free home-cooked meals. It is giving young people a lesson in giving back.

It is on Tuesday and Thursday of each week from October to June, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

What they’re saying:

“Aw thank you. Thank you. Thank so very much,” said Willean Gray to a group of young people who were making special deliveries. They took home-cooked meals to people in Grays Ferry.

“I think this is fantastic. It needs to be more of this in this whole neighborhood,” said Gray. She is thankful to receive the food.

“It’s really going to be needed in the upcoming months and weeks to come because ain’t going to be no food stamps and it’s going to be people out here that’s going to be hungry,” she said.

The kids are part of Young Chances Foundation.

Tyrique Glasgow is the executive director. He took them door to door to drop off plates to seniors, essential workers and neighbors who can use additional resources and support.

Glasgow started what he calls the community kitchen six years ago when he opened his building at 27th and Tasker.

“We started it because during the gun violence initiative, 4 to 8 was one of the high crime times in our city. But one of the resources was the lack of food so we wanted to put food on the table to also open up the conversation about how we could increase the quality of life for our community,” said Glasgow.

He says his youth and volunteers are learning community service and Tuesday is give back day for the foundation.

“Today is the day they receive points and stuff so they can have trips and incentives throughout the program,” he said.

When we arrived Tuesday evening, volunteers were preparing hot plates to go out or get picked up between six and seven in the evening.

“Today we have beef stew with crackers,” said Wadiya Warner who is the program director for YCF. The meal changes each day.

“We have baked ziti, we had barbeque chicken with baked macaroni and cheese and string beans, and we have enchiladas,” said Warner. “It makes people know that they’re not alone,” she said. Warner says everyone is grateful.

“We have people who come here like with six kids so it feels like if we can do that and see the smiles on their faces, it’s like a blessing,” she said.

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