Retired top chef competes for $25K to feed Maui homeless shelter residents

WAILUKU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A retired executive chef who has spent 45 years feeding people in need across the country is now volunteering at a Maui homeless shelter — and competing in a national cooking competition to raise money for the residents he serves.

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Chef William London volunteers at Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Center in Wailuku, where he cooks for shelter residents.

He is currently entered in a nationwide competition called “Favorite Chef” and needs public votes to advance to the next round.

From Chicago streets to Maui kitchens

London said his commitment to feeding the homeless began at age 10, growing up in Chicago.

“I seen a homeless man dead on the street, and I went and touched his body and he was frozen, and I cried all the way home,” London said.

That same year, he asked his mother for a Betty Crocker cookbook for Christmas and began cooking for people in need.

He went on to work as a chef in cities across the country and served as a chef for the Marriott on Maui from 1989 to 1992.

After the 2023 Maui fires, London said he felt called to return to the island to help.

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“I Googled homeless shelters because I know every shelter has a kitchen, and I said, if they got a kitchen, they would love to have a retired executive chef working for them, and I came and I started the next week,” London said.

‘A passion’ for volunteering

London said the reaction from shelter residents motivates him to keep going.

“The smiles that I see on my customer’s face. ‘Oh, the chef is cooking chicken pot pie today!’ And they just get so excited,” London said. “It makes me feel really good. I love volunteering because it’s a passion. So, if you’re doing something that’s your passion, you really never work a day in your life.”

Shelter resident Ed Sensano said London’s dedication stands out.

“It’s a privilege to have something like this. Because I’ve been homeless for a while. I’ve been on the streets,” Sensano said. “He volunteers everywhere, and his time is very precious. I never seen a volunteer that goes out of his way.”

Lahaina fire survivor Kalei Kaiaokamalie also expressed appreciation for London’s cooking and said he hopes London wins the grand prize.

“I’m totally stoked about it. I’m totally glad that he’s doing it and just glad to be tasting some of his fine delicacies here,” Kaiaokamalie said.

How to vote

London entered the “Favorite Chef” competition against tens of thousands of competitors from across the country. If he wins, he will receive $25,000, which he plans to use to cook every shelter resident their favorite meal.

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Click here to vote for him.