Mother's Kitchen

It is believed that the more we give, the more we receive. On the third Sunday of every month Mother's Kitchen serves food to the homeless in Downtown Seattle.

Mother's Kitchen started over 15 years ago when Amma expressed the desire to serve the poor. Instantly, a group of Amma's devotees set out to fulfill this wish and created Mother's Kitchen.

On the day of serving, a group gathers at the Compass Center in downtown Seattle and help cook breakfast. The meal usually consists of pancakes, scrambled eggs, hash browns, orange juice, hot chocolate, hot coffee and fruit. While cooking the food, we cook as if we were doing it for Amma, with the utmost awareness and dedication.

We transport the food from compass center to a satellite location nestled under the freeway overpass for serving, where many homeless people live.

After preparing the food, serving the meal -- the best part -- begins! With a warm meal and a few jokes sprinkled in between scrambled eggs and hash browns, everyone’s faces seem to emit a brighter glow.

Hopefully, this small gesture of service is the beginning point of making all of us more selfless. Not long ago there was one man who, though a bit bedraggled, had a bright face. As he was eating his pancake, he watched us thoughtfully. After a few minutes, he smiled at us with brilliant teeth and said, "I'm gonna do this someday, I am going to help people just like this!" He wasn't just speaking the words; it was as if he was making a promise. This man who has so little - no home, no money, no comfort - who sits and sleeps on the cold hard concrete, was thinking about helping others. That is real selflessness. That is what Amma is constantly telling us every single day.

Overall, Mother’s Kitchen is an unforgettable experience which you will hold with you forever. And after seeing the faces that suffer true hardship, changes that you thought were not possible will be made in your own self. Such is the beauty of service like Mother's Kitchen.

This meal is served outdoors on the 2nd Sunday of the month. We start cooking at 9:30 A.M. and serve at 11:00 A.M. All are welcome to participate in Mother's Kitchen. You can come either for cooking or serving or both. Email is sent out regularly announcing Mother's Kitchen activities for the month. We experience such joy cooking together. Please come try it out.

Email Visala Hohlbein for more information.