- Big Mama’s Kitchen, founded in 2007, continues its mission of supporting formerly incarcerated individuals through job opportunities and community care.
- The restaurant received a $20,000 Courage Project award—$10,000 of which will support local nonprofits focused on second chances, including Yes You Can and MCC Foundation.
- Gladys Harrison, daughter of the late founder, keeps her mother’s legacy alive through food, community gathering, and purpose-driven hiring.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I’m North Omaha neighborhood reporter Melissa Wright. I’m at Big Mama’s Kitchen — it’s a North Omaha staple for many, and it’s best known for its soul food. And now, it’s being recognized for the difference it’s making in the community.
This is Big Mama — the dreamer who opened Big Mama’s Kitchen in 2007. She passed in 2018, but her mission lives on through her daughter, Gladys Harrison.
“My mother wanted her restaurant to not only be a place where people could come and get great service but where they could come and sit down at a table and sit with a neighbor,” said Harrison.
Harrison now runs Big Mama’s Kitchen inside the Highlander Accelerator, which opened in 2020.
“If you notice, the name of this space is called the 'Dining Room' and it says 'Gather and Grub' and that's exactly what this place was designed to do,” said Harrison.
While the recipes remain the same, the deeper purpose is also intact — to give people second chances.
“Where they could come and get a second a chance, so from the beginning, we’ve hired people with records,” Harrison added.
That mission is now being recognized on a national scale. Big Mama’s Kitchen is one of six businesses awarded $20,000 through The Courage Project. Ten thousand dollars will go to Yes You Can, and the other half will benefit the Metro Community College Foundation. Both organizations are focused on giving people second chances and helping them rebuild their lives.
The Courage Project highlights people across the country making a lasting impact in their communities — whether by running a small business, mentoring youth, or simply helping a neighbor.
“It's basically celebrating a person, that’s given throughout a lifetime, that leans in and helps community,” said Shawna Forsberg with United Way of the Midlands.
Forsberg says the award is backed by nine foundations, with $10 million allocated to uplift those who pay it forward.
“So far Gladys is the only one and when we heard of this award, we thought she was absolutely the perfect person to put in for the award," said Foresberg. "And we received it really quick, so they must’ve thought the same.”
For Harrison, the recognition is about continuing her mother’s vision — and inspiring others to serve.
“Use those spaces and places, that you are in to help other people and to truly make this community great space for everybody," said Harrison.
In North Omaha, I’m Melissa Wright.
