The Full Scoop

Kristin Getting Crazy in the Kitchen

I moved back to Ohio recently to take care of my ailing mother after spending almost 20 years in beautiful colorful Colorado. In Denver, I was known for lots of food projects--some of which were quite crazy! I've always had a huge pull towards bringing communities together. Learn a little bit more about me here!

Random Acts of Kindness

In 2008 and 2009, I ran a group called Random Acts of Kindness. By the end, I had around 700 members and worked with about 50 organizations all over Colorado and beyond, finding ways for people to give back by way of volunteering, attending fundraisers, and other creative endeavors. After all, everybody's idea of giving back is a little different!

Here are a few that come to mind:

Adopt a US Soldier (My packages always included food like snacks and candy, of course!)
Being pen pals with hospitalized kiddos
Attending MaxFund Animal Adoption Center's annual Chili Cook Off
Working the annual ball benefit fundraiser of a home for pregnant teens
Supporting a service dog training organization

One of my favorite projects was at Urban Peak, a homeless shelter for youth. Myself and my volunteers made regular appearances here, making dinner for the kids (up to 40 at a time) several times a month for two years. I actually spent my 25th birthday with my kids and gave them their very first bites of ice cream cake! Although pictures with the kids weren't allowed (for obvious reasons), you'll see me here (on the left) with some volunteers getting dinner ready around 2009.

The Pandemic Project Was Born

During the Thanksgiving season of 2019, I couldn't afford to fly home for the holidays, but I wanted a traditional Thanksgiving dinner--for one.

That year, I think I had 11 households who asked for a meal. I made the whole meal from scratch. It took me two days (and I think one entire day was spent just shredding cheese for the mac and cheese!)

I hand-delivered all of the meals to my grateful recipients, and an idea was born.

Food for Thoughtfulness

When the world shut down in 2020, I, like so many others, needed to find a purpose. Little did I know this would be the beginnings of Food for Thoughtfulness. By 2021 my pandemic project had erupted into a city-wide organization of volunteers who went to food banks to get food, home cooks who made fresh meals, and delivery drivers who got all of this food to people who were immobile or unable to get food any other way. I managed around 400 recipients on a rotating basis and had around 40 volunteers who were superheroes, loading up their cars with food bank food, making their own meals, delivering it to me to be sorted, then driving it out to its final destinations. When I say it was crazy, I mean, it was CRAZY!

Check Out Denver News 9's Coverage of Christmas 2020!

Meal Recipient, Denver

"See! That’s why I absolutely adore you. That’s your calling and has always been. When I think of the pandemic, I think of a few things. One huge thing, was YOU. I know a lot of people pitched and helped. But it was you that created it. It was you that helped families like mine. It was you that hand picked Randy to help my family and I can say he’s a life long friend now. "

My Family. My Inspriation.