Meet Naomi Hartgens – Lead Kitchen Assistant

If you’ve ever stepped into the CCMOW kitchen in the morning, there’s a good chance you’ve been greeted by Naomi’s bright smile and upbeat energy. Naomi arrives at the kitchen between 7 and 8 a.m., ready to jump into the day. Her morning starts with printing labels for meals and sorting sides. Each day, she receives a list detailing how many meals need to go out and which sides will accompany them.

Once labels are printed and sides are organized, Naomi sends the sides out with the volunteers and moves on to the “pack-out” process. CCMOW offers three types of meals—vegetarian, allergen-free, and regular—and it’s her job to make sure each meal is correctly labeled and accounted for.

Thankfully, Naomi isn’t doing it alone. “This process is made so wonderfully easy because of our amazing volunteers in the kitchen,” she says. After packing is complete, the team cleans up and prepares for the second service of the day: serving clients in the café.

“During café service, it’s all about our clients,” Naomi shares. “Whatever they need, I’m there to help. I try to serve them to the best of my ability.” Once the hour-long service wraps up, it’s time for another round of cleaning before heading out for the day—another full, rewarding shift complete.

The Joy of Community

One of Naomi’s favorite parts of working at CCMOW is the people. “A good surprise that I get to see every day is the amount of support, community, and love here,” she says. “Volunteers come every single day to run meals, prep, package, serve, and do so much more. It’s absolutely wonderful to see.”

And it’s not all serious work—there’s plenty of fun in the kitchen too. “A funny memory I have is honestly every day,” Naomi laughs. “Chef Dani and I always have a little dance party with the volunteers. It makes my day so, so much better.”

Mission Moment

When it comes to connecting with the CCMOW mission, Naomi puts it beautifully:

“Being human means needing food to survive. Food is a necessity—but unfortunately, for some people, it’s a luxury. I don’t think that should ever be the case. Everyone should have access to a warm meal every day. Seeing and hearing about people who don’t really upsets me, and it pushes me to do something about it. No one should be without food.”