Del's Kitchen at the West Town Day Shelter now a communal effort

Del’s Kitchen hasn’t closed at the Homeless Alliance’s West Town Day Shelter, but it has changed hands.

Chef Delbert Briggs has worked in West Town’s kitchen since the day it opened, managing it the last five years. But two Fridays ago, Delbert served his last lunch to the city’s homeless community.

“Got to focus on my health and family," Briggs said.

Briggs is going into semi-retirement to care for his mother, who at 89 has suffered some setbacks with her health. And Briggs just recently had a heart condition of his own tended to by surgery, making it clear he needed to take the nearest off-ramp from the high-stress highway of operating a kitchen that survives on donations. "We just had to go with what we had on hand," Briggs laughed. "The job was a little like 'Chopped' every day."

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Homeless Alliance communications director Kinsey Crocker said The Homeless Alliance will desperately miss Briggs, whom she estimates served more than 1 million meals to the homeless during his time. She said Briggs prepared more than 80,000 meals for more than 8,000 people homeless people last year alone.

"We are definitely going to miss Delbert," she said. "He is a rare combination of someone with kitchen experience, the creativity to make something out of very little, incredible work ethic, a personality to manage volunteers, and compassion for people experiencing crisis.He will be impossible to replace."

She said remaining staff and volunteers have been pitching in to fill Briggs' vacancy, "But we are still looking for Delbert’s long-term replacement."

Briggs said he's there for them during the transition.

"Still got people there that I grew to love over the years," Delbert said. "I'll be back soon to visit. I'm only a phone call away."

Briggs came to West Town after nearly 20 years in the kitchen at Spaghetti Warehouse. Briggs recalled starting shortly after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

“I just remember the emergency workers coming in for meals,” he said. “Very quiet, very respectful. Just eat their meals and get back out there."

In the early days at West Town, Briggs said expectation were humble.

"They didn't think we we're gonna do more than 100 people a day," he said. "That quickly changed, and I would say we had over 100 people just for breakfast and possibly 200 plus for lunch, depending on the time of the month."

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He said a job that started out as "maybe 18 hours a week" lasted about a month before he and then coordinator Johnny Wofford realized someone was going to have to be in the kitchen by 3 a.m. to ensure the job was done right to feed those that needed it.

Briggs said he will miss his second family at West Town, from the many AARP volunteers he’s met over the years to the guests he’s served since August 2011.

“Sometimes the people come through just need someone to treat them with a little respect," he said.

His last day in the kitchen was followed by a reception attended by dozens of people whose lives Briggs had touched.

Clayton Bahr was among them. Bahr, who works for Premium Brands making sure restaurants are flush with wine and spirits, came up with an idea to bring chefs into the kitchen once a month in support of West Town. He called it Turning the Table on Hunger. The program began in April 2015 and continued right up to the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic.

After that, chefs have been able to support West Town's Thanksgiving services with the help of chefs like Hal Smith Restaurant Group corporate chef Brad Johnson, Ned's Catering and Brianna Shear, of Packard's New American Kitchen.

Packard's, which is part of the Urban Management Incorporated restaurant group, was so inspired that it began hosting a Thanksgiving event called Chef Fest to raise money for The Homeless Alliance.

Shear was among the folks in attendance for Briggs' farewell party, along with representatives from 84 Hospitality, which was so inspired by its first visit to the Homeless Alliance years ago made it part of the team-building program.

"While our ultimate goal at the Homeless Alliance is to house people, sometimes for us that first point of contact comes from meeting a person with a meal," Crocker said. "Delbert has not only helped fill bellies, but he has also played a part in helping people end their homelessness."

Briggs said he was proud of the work he'd done and to have worked with the Homeless Alliance.

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"I wouldn't change a single day I've been operating the kitchen at The Homeless Alliance," he said. "Preparing meals for the homeless, for breakfast and for lunch, making sat lunches during the time before the pandemic for guys who were going to work, as well, and just make sure those guys got the bellies full. It's not for everyone, but it suited me good."

Going forward, Briggs is prioritizing his and his mother's health, but plans to do some traveling with his children and babysit some grandkids.

"My son and I have a trip we'd talked about taking we're gonna do," he said. "But first thing I'm gonna do is sleep!"

Crocker said the needs at West Town carry on.

"We can always use dry pasta, oatmeal and rice donations," she said. "While it is getting warmer outside and it sounds counterintuitive, one of our other biggest needs right now at the day shelter is blankets — we can take new or gently used. We need blankets year-round for people. We could also use adult-size tennis shoes and work boots, too."

Crocker said people coming to the day shelter are struggling through trauma and difficult times and marvels at how Briggs consistently brought a smile as warm as the meals he served.

"If you’d like to donate in Delbert’s honor, just $4 can help provide a week of lunches for a person visiting our Day Shelter," she said.

To make that donation and learn more about the needs at The Homeless Alliance, go to www.homelessalliance.org.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Del's Kitchen in OKC remains open after namesake leaves