KSHB 41 Action News Reporter Lindsay Shively sat down with Fr. Justin Mathews and Chef Natasha Bailey to talk about Thelma’s Kitchen and Reconciliation Services’ Grand reopening at 3101 Troost.

Thelma’s Kitchen and Reconciliation Services will be reopening on 31st and Troost Avenue next week after being closed for more than two years of renovations. The cafe, which serves healthy comfort food, operates on a pay-what-you-can donation model to help feed the community.

Thelma’s Kitchen, which reopened this week after closing four years ago, is not a soup kitchen.

“We’re a full-fledged restaurant with some really amazing food,” said the Rev. Justin Mathews, standing outside Thelma’s, 3101 Troost Ave., during Tuesday’s lunch hour. “We’re about as far from a soup kitchen as you can get.”

RS featured by Startland News: “The reopening of Thelma’s Kitchen — a pay-it-forward restaurant on Troost Avenue — not only flips the menu on the “soup kitchen” concept, but serves as an anchor of compassionate, community-focused care in the face of neighborhood gentrification, said Father Justin Mathews.”

After years of being shut down, Thelma’s Kitchen doors are open wide once again on the corner of 31st and Troost.

Buckle up parents, the school year is almost over. Before your kids pack it up, they need to complete those dreaded standardized tests. To help score well, a local non-profit is handing out snacks to some hungry students.

“This is an important moment not only for Reconciliation Services but, most especially, for the thousands of low-income neighbors struggling to survive and succeed that we serve,” said Fr. Justin Mathews.

Check out this article from The Beacon to learn more about how RS is helping renters and homeowners apply for SAFHR funding.

“I am a social entrepreneur at heart, and I think that shapes and defines my leadership perspective and my nonprofit leadership because of that passion for social entrepreneurship. I consider myself a social venturer, not just a nonprofit leader — a social entrepreneur.”

The Kansas City Business Journal has selected our executive director, Fr. Justin Mathews, as a 2022 NextGen Leaders honoree!

“Throughout the pandemic and now in the middle of record inflation, Thelma’s Kitchen has continued to feed the underserved. It's not business as usual. But it's finding a way to meet the need.”

Take a look at this article in Feast Magazine for a preview of the new Thelma’s Kitchen menu, and to learn more about how we’re continuing to provide the community with healthy meals while our facility undergoes renovation!

Check out this post from Metrowire Media for details on our renovation, information about our construction partners, and updates on funding for the project.

Check out this Fox 4 News coverage of our recent wall-breaking ceremony where RS staff and supporters gathered to kick off demolition for our upcoming renovation!

Check out this video from Fox 4 News for details on our renovation plans, which will allow us to offer more services to more neighbors in need.

“This project is far more than the renovation of a historic building at 31st and Troost. The real importance is the equitable impact this project will have on the Troost Corridor, the surrounding neighborhoods, and the over 4,000 neighbors we serve annually,” says Fr. Justin Mathews.

Watch this story from KSHB 41 on how remodeling our historic building will help us expand our services to neighbors in need across Kansas City.

Check out this article from Startland News about the public launch of the Reveal Strength Capital Campaign to remodel our building on the corner of 31st & Troost!

This blog post states that Thelma’s Kitchen serves the best soup in Missouri, and we can’t help but agree!

Check out this article from The Pitch which details Thelma’s Kitchen’s nomination for Best of Kansas City 2021!

This article from The Christian Century dives into the history of RS founders Fr. Alexii and Thelma Altschul, and the legacy of Mother Maria of Paris, whose hospitality inspired their mission.

Check out this comprehensive article from The Pitch on how Thelma’s Kitchen has adapted to continue serving our neighbors over the course of the pandemic.

Watch this story from Fox 4 News about how RS is working to provide relief for Kansas City tenants who are facing eviction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch this story from KMBC 9 News about the Thelma’s Kitchen Birthday Challenge and how you can get involved.

Check out this story from KSHB 41 News about how we’re celebrating the 3-year anniversary of Thelma’s Kitchen.

Watch this insightful story from Flatland on the connection between nutrition and mental health, and how Thelma’s Kitchen is helping increase access to healthy meals for neighbors on Troost.

“For unhoused people, living without a valid photo ID… is a major obstacle. It can make it more difficult or even prevent them from accessing shelter, getting a job, receiving medical care, opening a bank account or applying for crucial aid like food stamps or Social Security benefits. “

Check out this Fox 4 news story about how RS is helping “people experiencing homelessness overcome obstacles preventing them from moving into more stable environments.”

Listen to this Podcast about the namesake for Thelma’s Kitchen and how RS is “striving to give Troost a healthful economic boost by feeding the community in more ways than one.”

Read this article in the Duke Faith and Leadership Online Journal about how RS is working to build community on Troost.

Read this thoughtful article about a personal experience of volunteering in Thelma’s Kitchen.

Read the Kansas City Star editorial by our Executive Director, Fr. Justin Mathews!

Check out this article from Fox 4 News about our new donate-what-you-can cafe, Thelma’s Kitchen.

Listen to this edition of KCUR’s "Up To Date” for insight on why an ID is essential to survival.

Read this wonderful Kansas City Star article about Thelma's Kitchen and watch the video they made while visiting with us!

Grandma Tillie and Grandma Barbara are working to reveal strength in our kids! Check out this 41 Action News - KSHB-TV story about the RS Foster Grandparents and the way they are giving back to the next generation of young people!

Helping someone get an ID is somewhat akin to digging a well for a family in a third world country. An ID offers access to a deep well of possibilities for self-sufficiency and dignity that everyone should have access to.

Watch this short news story on the moving of two special murals from Troost Ave. into Thelma's Kitchen at Reconciliation Services.

Here's Reconciliation Services' own Fr. Turbo Qualls talking about his mural as part of the Troost Market Collective project. And you can see the mural dedicated to our co-founder Michaela Thelma Altschul painted by Lori Bury and Stuart Bury.

“One of the best ways to improve health in our community is to support organizations working to make healthy habits become the norm,” said Bridget McCandless, M.D., President/CEO of HCF of Greater KC.