Lila founded People's Free Kitchen in August 2022. (Nick Georgodiu)
Lila was working as an executive chef at a restaurant in Eatonville from 2021 to 2022 while also being homeless and living out of her car for three months.
Lira said the owner had not paid her tips and wages, which she found out about in January 2022.
“When I found out my money was stolen at a time when I was struggling myself, I had to channel my anger and indignation into action. I had to become more focused,” said Lila, who declined to give her last name and used the pronouns they/them/theirs. They have struggled with housing instability ever since they got jobs.
The workers decided to unionize, and the restaurant remains open after protests and strikes. But the effort gave birth to People's Free Kitchen, a food distribution program that Lira launched in August 2022 in collaboration with a local organization. Volunteers meet at Downtown Credo on Sunday mornings to prepare and distribute healthy meals.
The group runs on a volunteer basis and usually meets at the Downtown Credo to prepare meals.(Nick Georgodiu)
People's Free Kitchen has 40 active participants. Every Sunday, about a dozen people gather around a folding table in a corner of the cafe to assemble fresh, hearty food boxes. The April 7 distribution featured nachos loaded with ingredients, including salsa, mayonnaise, queso fresco, black beans, elote, sour cream and jalapeños.
The large amount is intentional, Lira said, for the recipients: “They're used to receiving leftovers, so they're nervous about receiving boxed meals.”
Volunteers contribute in whatever way suits their abilities: by coming in for a few hours on Sunday morning to box up meals, deliver side dishes or join a mobile distribution route.
A volunteer shows off pico de gallo donated through the People's Free Kitchen's side dish program on April 7. (Sarah Aslam)
During the interview, participants in the Side Dish program arrived with trays of pico de gallo. All Side Dish program participants who bring food from home are required to pass a food safety course.
As another volunteer walked in, tears welled up in Lila's eyes.
“Sorry, I just met Tracy, but she literally spent a week making tempeh from scratch about two weeks ago. It just goes to show you how much work it takes when you give people the room to blossom,” Lila said.
People's Free Kitchen respects the dietary needs and religious beliefs of its beneficiaries and provides vegan and vegetarian options.
Lira said the goal isn't whether People's Free Kitchen will exist in 10 years, but that the organization's efforts will be replicated in free kitchens everywhere.
“We hope this instills in people the belief that they can take care of others without getting anything in return, because we don't get anything in return. We know this is necessary because we see people living on the streets and really suffering,” Lira said.
