Food with Friends

By Bridget Locke

Photos by Christy Gruenbaum

“Please don’t kill me.”

When Kendall Nick heard this terrified plea from a man who was experiencing homelessness, she stopped in her tracks.

“It was unbelievable,” she said, reflecting on the moment. “I reached out to say hello, but he winced back in fear. He thought I meant him harm, and it broke my heart. Far too frequently, people who live outside are either treated like they’re invisible or find themselves on the receiving end of physical or verbal attacks. If given the choice between invisibility or abuse, some prefer to stay unseen.”

But they’re not invisible. Nick saw them clearly and determined that night that she would find a way to serve them. The following week, she and a few more volunteers returned to Kansas City’s River Market District with sandwiches in hand and a mission in mind.

“We walked around, found some new friends and asked them to eat with us,” she said.

Nick didn’t realize it at the time, but she’d just launched Food with Friends KC, an outreach ministry with one purpose: reminding homeless friends that they are loved and seen.

Since that night in July 2020, Nick and several volunteers have continued to bring food and other necessities — wipes, lip balm, batteries, underwear, books, flashlights and more — to friends they encounter in the River Market area. The group meets every other Friday evening and walks nearly three miles for two hours, delivering items to anyone who expresses need. Before their

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foodwithfriendskc.org to learn more. visit, Nick prepares food and necessities and, sometimes, fulfills special requests.

“We ask our friends if there is a treat they’d like or haven’t had in a while,” she said. “Some, we see every visit; others, we only encounter once — but we show up, rain or shine. We want to be a source of consistency in their lives. Many of them don’t get that anywhere else.”

Word of their work has spread. In 2022, City on a Hill, a nonprofit in the diocese, began posting the group’s volunteer opportunities on its website. In addition to yielding new volunteers, their partnership has opened up opportunities for interviews and speaking engagements about their work and led to donation drives spearheaded by Catholic Challenge Sports and Young Catholic Professionals.

Nick understands that the challenges of those experiencing homelessness are often bigger than she alone can solve, but she also knows that love and compassion will always be a component.

“Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said, ‘Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.’ Doing small things with great love is my guiding principle.”