Today we’d like to introduce you to Kirk Oldham.
Hi Kirk, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
For 20 years I battled addiction, and it nearly took everything from me. When my dad passed away two years ago, I finally hit the point where I knew I had to change. Getting sober was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it gave me my life back and lit a fire in me to do something meaningful with my second chance.
Out of that pain, Meals With Meaning was born. I didn’t have any nonprofit experience—I just knew I didn’t want people to go hungry while so much food was being wasted. I started small, cooking out of the kitchen I was running as a chef, and step by step it grew. Today, we’ve donated over 20,000 meals, raised close to $120,000 in goods, and built partnerships with farms, chefs, and shelters across Tarrant County.
Meals With Meaning is more than a nonprofit to me—it’s proof that brokenness can be turned into something beautiful. My story is one of struggle, but also of redemption, and I want people to know that no matter how far gone you feel, you can always choose to create meaning.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s been anything but a smooth road. When I started, I had no money, no experience, and no partnerships—just a vision and the determination to make it work. I lost half my board to internal conflicts, and suddenly I was left completely on my own. Where we used to have four or five volunteers helping with donations to the homeless, I was out there by myself delivering meals.
All of this while being on probation, stuck within a 50-mile radius, driving around with a breathalyzer in my car and a busted passenger door, trying to figure out how to run a nonprofit with no playbook. Honestly, it’s been messy, humbling, and at times overwhelming.
But I refused to quit. I kept showing up, even when it meant carrying the whole thing on my back. The obstacles made me tougher, and they proved that you don’t need perfect conditions to make an impact—you just need the grit to keep going.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve been a chef for almost 10 years now, but it wasn’t always the plan. I made a late career switch after working in the oil industry, and I started from the very bottom as a dishwasher. I fought my way up through kitchens, one shift at a time, until I earned the title of chef.
Cooking gave me purpose, but what I found along the way is that food is so much more than just something to eat—it’s connection, healing, and community. I’ve never been happier than when I’m in a kitchen, nourishing people and seeing the impact it makes.
Meals With Meaning grew out of that. It’s where my passion for food and my love for people came together. I don’t just cook meals anymore—I pour my heart into creating something that carries meaning for the people who receive it.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m a collector of cook books and text books on culinary arts. My favorite book is the alchemist.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mealswithmeaning.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mealswithmeaningmwm?igsh=MWVjYnV0ZXVzZjBoag%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ZbMXAZuJH/?mibextid=wwXIfr
