09/05/2026
This month, Community Kitchens’ Home Chefs serve their 50,000th meal! We started this volunteer program to give East Bay community members a chance to expand their table and cook food for their neighbors who needed a hot meal. We're so proud to reach this milestone and celebrate the individuals who have dedicated themselves to feeding their immediate and extended communities. To celebrate, over the next few weeks, we're going to highlight some of our most dedicated Home Chefs, starting today with Melinda Drayton.
Melinda worked for 25 years at the Oakland Fire Department and retired from her position as Deputy Fire Chief. She started as a Home Chef in early 2023 and became one of the superstars of the program, producing tons of meals and conducting cooking demos for aspiring Home Chefs. She also serves on the board of Community Kitchens and assists us in expanding our Town Fridge network.
Melinda's favorite part of being a Home Chef is that "it's a family mission. I cook, our granddaughter helps package and prep, and my fiance usually delivers with his teenage son. So it feels like our small community is helping the cause of feeding food insecure folks."
Melinda's mom and grandma were both amazing cooks, so she logged a lot of time in the kitchen as a child, and cooking for the other firefighters gave her experience in preparing large quantities of food. Since becoming a Home Chef, Melinda has learned the value of meal presentation– she aims to "ensure it looks as good as it tastes since people eat with their eyes first."
"There is nothing more satisfying for me than to meet someone who has been positively impacted by the Home Chef program," says Melinda. "Food is not just fuel but food is love."
