Delivering More Than Dinner: DCWC Nourish Program
More Than a Meal: How a Local Food Program Is Nourishing Community, Connection, and Dignity
Every Monday morning, in the lower level of Duluth’s Gloria Dei Church, something powerful happens. A team of staff and volunteers from the Duluth Center for Women and Children’s Nourish program come together to prepare and pack semi-prepared meals, meals that are delivered straight to the doorsteps of families and individuals across Duluth’s Hillside neighborhood and beyond. The program provides free meals to those who need it most as well as offering paid subscriptions for those who want to help support their mission and receive easy-to-make meals each week.
More than just a meal, Nourish offers a doorway to possibility. The program introduces new ingredients and recipes, sometimes unconventional or hard to access, and invites participants to explore new flavors, rediscover old favorites, and find joy in cooking. From Butter Chicken and Rice to Corn and Potato Chowder to Sloppy Joes, each delivery brings nourishment, comfort, and inspiration, plus snacks for households with kids.
The goal? Dignity, not charity. Connection, not division.
Where It All Began
Nourish (formerly known as Food Forward) took root at the Duluth Center for Women and Children as a way to support women and families experiencing food insecurity. What began as a modest effort to provide healthy, accessible food to those in transitional housing quickly grew into something more visionary.
Aparna Katre, a professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth, helped create this initiative the connected students within the Department of World Languages and Cultures' Cultural Entrepreneurship (CUE) program and the First Ladies of the Hillside group in Duluth. Together, they designed the program to combat the issue of food insecurity in the Hillside neighborhood through providing free meal-kits provided to families in need.
With a focus on whole foods, cultural responsiveness, and human dignity, Nourish became more than a food program; it became a trusted source of care and culinary exploration. That same spirit continues to guide the program today: expanded, community-powered, and open to anyone needing a little help feeding themselves or their family.
From recipe design to delivery routes, the foundation laid by DCWC continues to shape how the program listens, adapts, and honors each person it serves.
Behind the Boxes: How It All Comes Together
On Monday mornings, the team arrives early to assemble the week’s deliveries. Each box can be customized based on preferences, dietary needs, and family size. Some participants are vegan. Others need soft foods or kid-friendly snacks. The team pays attention and adjusts with care.
Ingredients are portioned. Jars are filled. Cards with QR codes to preparation instructions are attached to each box. Once packed and labeled, the crates are loaded into a van and set off on a route that winds through Duluth’s neighborhoods, where families can prepare them that evening alongside a virtual cooking demonstration.
These aren’t just boxes of food. They’re opportunities: to try new flavors, revisit old favorites, and reclaim the joy of cooking.
Kristal, a program participant, shared:
“The best part is having the snacks every Monday when the kids get home… they’ve really enjoyed them. And if I don’t want to cook, I can either make the meal that night or save it for the next.”
The Small Moments That Matter
We had the chance to ride along on one of those delivery routes. Through the hills, the narrow streets, into Lincoln Park, up toward the Heights, down into Congdon. Each stop felt intentional. Each delivery was personal.
At one home, a striped tabby cat walked up the sidewalk. Amber, one of the program's core members and force who rbought the idea to light, paused to greet her — taking a moment to pause and say hello. Just a few seconds, but it reminded us: this is what the work is really about. Showing up. Being present. Meeting people (and pets) where they are.
These quiet, everyday moments turn a delivery into something deeper and meaningful for everyone.
More Than a Meal
The impact ripples out in unexpected ways.
“Trying new meals gives me a boost,” Felisha, a program participant, shares. “It’s about really trying all the new different meals...It’s inspiring me to cook more. Because I like to cook, even love to cook.” That boost extends well beyond the dinner table. Felisha’s children delight in the colorful plates and flavors, eager to try what’s in the kit. With the program, Felisha isn’t just feeding her family — she’s rediscovering joy in cooking and confidence in learning something new, one meal at a time.”
Sonya, a volunteer and mother, reflected: “My daughter got into Many Rivers Montessori through a connection here. And my sons, they get to meet with UMD football players as mentors.”
Gene, a resident in Hillside, told us she often will enjoy her dinner alone. “I enjoy the Monday night talks and demonstrations. Sometimes I have my tea and dinner, and no one’s around, so it’s sort of like company.”
What Nourishment Really Means
This program delivers more than food. It delivers:
- A reason to cook again
- A snack that brightens a child’s day
- A moment of connection
- Tools to try something new
- Mentorship. Belonging. Reconnection.
In a world that often draws lines between those who have and those who need, this program does something quietly radical:
It builds a bridge — one meal kit at a time.
DCWC Nourish provides meal kits to households dealing with food insecurity at no cost, and is looking to connect with community members interested in a paid subscription at $12/week per family member, which supports their mission: to be a secure source of food to families who need it most.
We’re proud to support DCWC Nourish through a grant from our Community Opportunity Fund, a fund that supports projects that emphasize collaboration and create lasting positive change. If you want to learn more about the Nourish Program or sign up for meal-kit delivery, visit www.DCWCnourish.com.