Nestled between downtown San Jose and the quaint neighborhood of Willow Glen lies a “little soup kitchen” which was started in 1981. Founder Louise Benson began this work out of her garage where she prepared and gave away peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the poor. Then in 1981, she and her friends started Martha’s Kitchen on the premises of the Sacred Heart Church serving hot meals. The kitchen was named after a biblical figure, Martha, who unfailingly offered hot meals to Jesus and his band of followers on their frequent journeys through the community of Bethany.

Today, between our hot meal and grocery programs, Martha’s Kitchen provides nearly 230,000 meals each month. While San Jose has been our home for 43 years, we feel called to provide food security to as many communities as we possibly can. At Martha’s Kitchen, we believe that food is a basic human right not a luxury. It is vital that these communities have access to well balanced meals, which include proper proteins, vegetables, and carbohydrates.