Chef Feeds Hundreds In Need With Impromptu Recipes

At only 9a.m., chef Ruby Kaho is embroiled dinner preparations. For the last 16 years, she's worked at Samaritan House, the anti-poverty nonprofit in San Mateo.

As a full-time food services manager, she cooks up to 700 meals a day with the help of three dozen workers and volunteers.

Sonya Peters is one of them.

"(She) always has the time," Peters said of Kaho. "Never too busy to help someone."

Chief Operating Officer Laura Bent says Kaho embodies the Samaritan House mission of neighbor helping neighbor.

"She puts her heart into every meal and really believes we need to support those in need in our area," Bent explained.

Using donations from Second Harvest Food Bank and grocery stores, Kaho works her magic, designing a meal using whatever comes in.
Sometimes she doesn't find out until the last minute.

"You put in a lot of love," Kaho said simply. "If you love what you do, you're good to go."

The meals get delivered to people in shelters, day laborers, senior citizens, and others in need.

Kaho herself also makes deliveries in her off hours. As a trained home health aide, she visits former volunteers with physical disabilities and assists with anything from bathing to cooking.

"(They're) elder people. You help them up. Sometimes they call me up, 'Ruby, I don't have enough to eat, I'm hungry.' I say, 'OK, I swing by and get you some.'" Kaho said.

'What is the joy for you?' we asked her.

"We see people smiling when they walk away with food," she responded.

So for feeding hundreds of people daily with her recipe of love, this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Ruby Kaho.