Local foodies and home design enthusiasts will get a chance to step inside six of Chestnut Hill's most distinctive kitchens and sample a variety of gourmet treats during a fun fundraiser for Chestnut Hill’s Meals on Wheels, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2. 

The Harvest Kitchen Tour, now in its second year since being forced to close operations during the pandemic, raised $30,000 last year for the nonprofit organization that delivers fresh meals to homebound residents across the Northwest. 

The self-guided tour invites guests to explore unique homes throughout Chestnut Hill while enjoying dishes prepared by six local chefs, ranging from sliders and soups to assorted sweets.

"It's like trick or treating for adults," says Carey Davis, executive director of Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels.

The houses are chosen through word of mouth among community members who might know someone with a recently renovated kitchen or a beautiful home. Among the 23 businesses sponsoring the event are plenty of architects and construction companies that have produced some of the newly renovated kitchens that will be on tour.

The group inherited the concept of the Harvest Kitchen Tour in 2018 from the Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, a nonprofit organization that provided activities and classes for older adults but is no longer open. After a successful first couple of years, MOW was forced to cancel the event for three years of pandemic shutdowns – and just reintroduced it as a primary fundraiser last year. 

According to Davis, roughly 300 people attend, along with 50 volunteers. All money raised goes directly to MOW, as the chefs donate their time and food and homeowners offer their homes for free. All MOW has to do is pick up the cost of advertising and paper goods. 

Based out of the First Presbyterian Church in Flourtown, Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels works to provide fresh food to community members challenged by illness, disability or age. The organization started in Chestnut Hill in 1975, but over the years it has expanded to include 13 different ZIP codes in the greater Northwest Philadelphia area.

Approximately 50 volunteers head out on weekday mornings to pack up two meals a day for about 120 people, most of whom are seniors, and deliver them on various routes. Clients who can pay but their meals, but most can’t – so their meals are fully subsidized. 

"Events like the tour really help us to cover those people that can't pay as well as just picking up on some of the operational costs that make it happen," Davis explained.

Davis emphasizes that the nonprofit is even more than just a delivery service. While providing meals is their primary mission, often clients are also socially isolated – and their daily visit from volunteers is an important point of personal contact. In some cases, volunteers have even served as a wellness check, calling for help when a particular client is not acting like themselves or didn't come to the door.

"It sounds corny, but it's more than just a meal," says Davis. "We really do try to develop a rapport with our clients so that they feel like they're part of a broader community."

Having worked with MOW for three years, Davis said she has developed a renewed appreciation for the importance of community.

"When I first started this work, I went on a ride along with one of the drivers and I was just very surprised that I could pass by a house and have no idea that there was someone inside who had a stroke or who had Parkinson's or who was recently widowed," Davis said. "So I think it reminded me of how important it is to pay attention to my neighbors, especially my senior neighbors, and just every once in a while, check in or notice if they're not doing what they usually do."

The Harvest Kitchen Tour is Nov. 2 starting at First Presbyterian Church at 1710 Bethlehem Pike in Flourtown. Doors open at 10 a.m. and the last entry into homes is at 2:45 p.m. Limited tickets are available for $50 at chestnuthillmow.org.