MEALS TO HEAL

Comfort food. It means different things for different people. For John Kelly, it was king crab legs. And not just any king crab legs, but the ones he and his five siblings ordered at Bob Chinn’s that day in 2008 right after their mom died. “My father-in-law told us all to go out to dinner as we were in the house grieving for my mother,” he recalls. “So, we did, and I was sitting at a big round table with all my brothers and sisters and I remember a sense of healing that came over me.” A few weeks after that meal, the Lake Forest resident (who works by day as an economist for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) had an epiphany that would change his life, and the lives of many more who were mourning the loss of a loved one. “I was coming back from playing basketball and I had a realization that I could pass that same bonding, uniting, and healing I felt from the meal to other families, and I immediately said to myself ‘A Meal To Heal’.” As the oldest of six children growing up in Waukegan, Bob Chinn’s in Wheeling had been his family’s place for “special occasions.” So, when Kelly founded the A Meal To Heal nonprofit shortly after his mother’s death, the goal was to provide families with gift certificates to their version of Bob Chinn’s—that special restaurant where food always brought them comfort. “The first meal to heal was Portillo’s,” explains Kelly, who now partners with businesses throughout the North Shore to provide meals for what he calls “survivors” of loss and trauma. “A lady from a company that I collected data from lost her son in a car accident. We sent out a letter with our stationary making the offer and the family requested Portillo’s. She said it was ‘the nicest thing anyone has ever done.’ Another family lost a child that same year and we did The Cheesecake Factory.” Over the last 15 years, the nonprofit has become a family venture, with John’s wife, Amy, and daughters Annie and Emma involved, along with the same siblings who shared that first meal. “We have had fundraisers and restaurant participation events, as well as lemonade stands when they were younger,” he says, adding that A Meal To Heal now also partners with a group called Chicago Survivors that supports children affected by gun violence in Chicago. “It is nice to work with so many great restaurants locally who support us, such as The Deerpath Inn, Sophia Steakhouse, Francesca’s, Authentico, Ferintino’s Pizzeria, Scotty’s … and of course, Bob Chinn’s!” While the nonprofit serves mostly local families, including those who suffered losses during last year’s tragic 4th of July shooting in Highland Park, gift certificates have been distributed for restaurants from California to Virginia. Kelly says he was particularly proud to arrange a meal at Francesca’s for America’s Gold Star Families, serving those who lost their sons in the Iraq War. “It was very emotional for me. One of the parents said to me that this was the first time they had ever met other Gold Star families,” he adds. “To be able to share a wonderful meal and see the bonding and unity of the families that night really was amazing and unforgettable.”

Follow A Meal To Heal on Instagram at @amealtohealorg.