Beyond Belief Network Guides: D.C. Central Kitchen

D.C. Central Kitchen is Foundation Beyond Belief’s 2015 Q3 Poverty and Health beneficiary  for the Humanist Giving program. As with all FBB beneficiaries, D.C. Central Kitchen was chosen based on compatibility with the FBB mission, program effectiveness, financial responsibility, and an innovative approach to solving a problem. D.C. Central Kitchen’s mission is to “use food as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds, and build communities.” You can use this guide for service event ideas to help D.C. Central Kitchen’s goals.

D.C. Central Kitchen’s Work

D.C. Central Kitchen tackles hunger and poverty through food distribution, food recycling, and job training using a social enterprise model. They distribute 5,000 meals every day at little or no cost to 80 nearby homeless shelters, transitional homes, and nonprofit organizations. In an effort to not waste food, D.C. Central Kitchen also has a Food Recycling program to turn tons of leftover, surplus food into thousands of balanced meals every day. However, it is their Culinary Job Training program that has shown amazing results.

The Culinary Job Training, or CJT, program prepares unemployed men and women, including those who were homeless or previously incarcerated, for careers in the food service industry. The CJT program runs for 14 weeks. During that time, students receive lessons in basic culinary skills, job readiness skills, and self-empowerment. After completing a month-long internship, students are provided with job placement assistance. Since its creation in 1990, the CJT program has helped nearly 1,400 individuals. CJT graduates have also gained employment in top positions of the food service industry, such as the kitchen of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which houses the agencies that make up the Executive Office of the President.     

Event Ideas

These suggested ideas are intended to inspire Beyond Belief Network teams looking for potential events.

1. Ready, Set, Collect. Since D.C. Central Kitchen’s goal is to reduce hunger, consider collecting canned goods or other needed supplies for a local food bank. You can combine this collection with another event. For example, ask members to bring a canned good at your volunteer group’s next meeting. Don’t forget! Food banks and food pantries are often in need of volunteers to help sort and repackage donated food. If your group has the time and interest consider volunteering.

2. Do Without. Fundraise for D.C. Central Kitchen or another hunger-based charity by organizing a ‘Do Without’ pledge drive. Each volunteer gives up a particular habit (for example, purchasing a morning coffee, daily soft drinks, or smoking) for a week and donates the savings to a charity. If your volunteer group is part of Beyond Belief Network and donates the proceeds to D.C. Central Kitchen, the event would be considered as a Foundation Partners Program event, which means it will count as two events. Perfect for teams looking to quickly raise their BBN team level!    

3. Give to the Red Cross. This is a service event that sustains a community in a different way. Make a list of all interested volunteers willing to donate blood, plasma, etc. Then, contact your local Red Cross to set up a group appointment. On the day of the event, once all volunteers have finished donating, grab a bite to eat. Keep in mind, this event can be combined with the canned good collection suggested above. To check whether volunteers are eligible to donate blood, check out the Red Cross’s Blood Donation Eligibility Requirements.     

4. Tending Gardens. If your volunteer group is looking for a family-friendly late summer/fall service event, contact a local community garden. They may need volunteers to tend plots or harvest vegetables and fruit for donation to a community food bank. Check out our BBN Guide on Community Gardens for more suggestions and references.

Follow D.C. Central Kitchen and their work through their website, Facebook, and Twitter.