Food volunteerism is “a beautiful conduit to bring people together,” Chaya Segelman, co-founder of Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles (OBKLA), says.

Founded by Chaya and her husband, Yossi, OBKLA provides quality meals, made with love, to Angelenos in need.

“When you see people connecting on something, which is very simplistic – [preparing] a meal going to someone in the next 24 hours to sustain them – it’s very powerful,” Yossi says. “It’s not just nourishing people’s stomachs, but it’s lifting up their spirit.”

The Segelmans started OBKLA in August 2020, and moved to their current location – Margaret Feder’s Our Big Kitchen LA on Pico in June 2022.  Last year, they prepared and distributed more than 27,000. In 2023, that number will be close to 100,000.

“I love seeing the whole process,” Chaya says. “When people come in, there’s the raw ingredients on the table. By the time they leave, they’ve already connected for two hours, packaged the food and see the complete impact of what they’ve done.”

She adds, “It’s the smells, the colors, the texture – everything comes together so beautifully and with so much intention.”

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On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, I speak with Chaya and Yossi Segelman, founders of Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles (OBKLA). The Segelmans talk about OBKLA’s origin, mission, and process, as well as food volunteerism and their recipe for gnocchi with meat and vegetarian options.

Read the full article about Our Big Kitchen LA, listen to the podcast, and get the recipe.