BBQ Chicken, Corn Bread, and Mashed Potato Meal Kit

This past Sunday, the Wood Street Meal Project held its very first meal distribution event, marking the beginning of what we hope will become a long-standing tradition of community care and outreach. For the very first meal kit, I prepared BBQ chicken, corn bread, and mashed potatoes for 25 people.

Why Wood Street?

I chose Wood Street for a reason. Located between the Dallas Public Library and City Hall, the area sees a high concentration of unsheltered individuals who often struggle to access consistent meals. Nearby, a church-run meal service also operates, but the lines can grow long and overwhelming during lunch hours. I hoped to ease some of that burden—offering another source of nourishment and, more importantly, showing up for those who often feel invisible.

The Day of the Distribution

To prepare for our event, I began cooking at 8:30 AM. Since I had purchased groceries and supplies the day before, I was ready for a busy Sunday morning. I started with the BBQ chicken, as it took the longest to prepare. First, I seared the chicken to brown and partially cook it, then coated it in BBQ sauce before finishing it in the oven. Once the chicken was done, I moved on to the cornbread. After mixing the batter, I poured it into muffin tins and baked until golden. Finally, I prepared the mashed potatoes by peeling and boiling the potatoes, then mashing them with milk, butter, and seasoning. Once everything was cooked, I packed the meals into takeout containers and placed them in a cooler to keep warm. I also made sure to bring plenty of bottled water to hand out alongside the meals.

When I arrived in downtown at 11:30 AM, I was ready to start handing out meals. I approached people and asked if they needed something to eat, and within 30 minutes, every single meal I had prepared was gone. By the time I was done, I was struck by how meaningful such a simple act of sharing food could be. What seemed small to me opened the door to conversations, stories, and genuine moments of connection. People shared their stories and it reminded me how important it is simply to listen and show up.

What I Learned

• The challenges the unsheltered go through is much worse than you may think. Many of the people I talked to shared that they had not eaten for had eaten very little for multiple days.

• Although other organizations run much larger food distribution operations, the large scale of their events leads to many people not getting any meals. Due to the long lines and wait for food, many people are discouraged from getting meals from these events, leaving them hungry.