Serving as a lifeline for San Francisco’s unhoused, formerly unhoused, and food-insecure residents, Mother Brown’s Kitchen at 2111 Jennings Street in the Bayview is operated by Felton Institute, providing warm meals and a safe community hub.

Mother Brown’s Kitchen carries on the legacy of Barbara J. Brown, affectionately known as “Mother Brown,” who began her mission in the early 1970s by cooking southern-style meals in her kitchen and serving them from her yellow Cadillac Seville to those in need along San Francisco’s Sixth Street. Renowned for her red beans and rice, ham hocks, and even catfish, Mother Brown created a place of care and dignity that has endured long after her passing in 2005. The current facility in the Bayview, which opened in 2001, continues her spirit by serving many of those same beloved soul-food staples.

The staff at Mother Brown’s Kitchen is made up of local Bayview-Hunters Point residents, many of whom were formerly homeless themselves, allowing them to give back to the community.