We fed the 5000!

Feeding the 5000 option 3

Back in April we announced that DCCK had partnered up with Feedback to host Feeding the 5000 in DC. On May 18, in an effort to shed light on the growing crisis of food waste and the practical solutions available, DC Central Kitchen and Feedback, with the support of more than 40 other like-minded organizations and chefs, hosted this community event and provided the public with a free meal made entirely from fresh, top-quality ingredients that would have otherwise been wasted.

The leading national nonprofit empowering students to fight hunger and food waste and DCCK’s national arm, The Campus Kitchens Project, hosted a Disco Chop vegetable processing party the day before Feeding the 5000. Student volunteers with The Campus Kitchens Project joined Feedback, DC Central Kitchen, and other volunteers to help chop the more than 3,000 pounds of recovered produce that would later be cooked and served in the meal the following day.

DC Central Kitchen procured the food and prepared the vegetable curry that was served to more than 5000 members of the public who participated in the event.

Chefs José Andrés, Spike Mendelsohn, and Anthony Lombardo held cooking demonstrations with wasted food alongside notable officials including USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.

DC-based nonprofits teamed-up to host interactive booths that shared solutions to food waste and offered tasty bites made from otherwise wasted food.

All told, the event resulted in more than 6,700 meals served to the public, all made from food that would have otherwise gone to waste.

DC Central Kitchen and The Campus Kitchens Project are proud to have worked in partnership with Feedback to bring this community event to DC. While our team worked tirelessly to both procure the ingredients and prepare the meal for Feeding the 5000, our day didn’t end there. Just like every other day, DC Central Kitchen continued our normal meal operation of using recovered food to prepare 5,000 meals for homeless shelters and partner nonprofits.

We are honored to be a part of the solution to food waste in DC; because, at DC Central Kitchen, every day is Feeding the 5000.

Donate By Check

Please mail your check donation to DC Central Kitchen’s deposit box at:

Mail this form with your donation to ensure we have all the information needed to provide a tax receipt for your gift.

Our deposit box is the most direct and safest way to send your donation to DC Central Kitchen. Donations received at this PO box are immediately deposited into our bank account, allowing us to put your donation to work right away.

Donate Food

Thank you for considering DC Central Kitchen for your food donation! We greatly appreciate your generosity. We accept food donations with an emphasis on produce and proteins. These ingredients give our chefs the most flexibility to create healthy, complete meals to prepare for our community partners. Please contact us before dropping off any donation to ensure we can accept and utilize the items. See below for more information on how to donate. 

Please contact foodrecovery@dccentralkitchen.org to schedule a food donation delivery or pick-up. In your email, please include: 

First Name: 

Last Name: 

Company/ Organization (if applicable): 

Email: 

Phone Number: 

Description of food: 

Quantity or pounds of food:  

Pick up or drop off: 

Pick up address: 

Date and time food is available: 

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Please contact us BEFORE dropping off any donation.

Other Ways To Donate

Monthly donations provide a steady stream of support for our year-round programs. Set up a hassle-free, automated monthly or quarterly donation to DC Central Kitchen using our online donation form.

Recurring donations are automatically charged each month on the day you made your first gift (so if you made your first gift on November 12, your next gift will be charged on December 12). We will send you an annual giving statement for your tax purposes in January of each year. Easily change your gift amount, payment date, or frequency via email at giving@dccentralkitchen.org or phone at 202-847-0222.

Please direct your Donor Advised Fund (DAF) grant to be mailed to DC Central Kitchen’s deposit box. Funds sent to this PO box are deposited immediately, so we can put your donation to work right away. DC Central Kitchen’s Tax Identification Number (TIN) is 52-1584936.

DC Central Kitchen
PO Box 417406
Boston, MA 02241-7406

Donors using Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable or BNY Mellon: please use the convenient DAF Direct link to designate a gift to DC Central Kitchen.

DC Central Kitchen accepts gifts of stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. Donating securities is easy and you receive a two-part benefit of receiving an immediate tax deduction and avoiding capital gains tax. The amount of your gift will be determined by the value on the day it is transferred into DC Central Kitchen’s account.

To make a gift of stock, please contact us for the necessary information to arrange for a transfer of securities into DC Central Kitchen’s brokerage account. Please email giving@dccentralkitchen.org or call 202-847-0222.

Make fighting hunger differently part of your lasting legacy by including DC Central Kitchen in your estate plans. There are many ways to include DC Central Kitchen in your estate plans, including through your will, revocable trust, retirement plan, or life insurance policy. Planned gifts can accommodate your lifestyle now while securing a stronger future for DC Central Kitchen. Read more about ways to include DC Central Kitchen in your estate plans.

If you have included DC Central Kitchen in your estate plans, please let us know! We’re eager to recognize your commitment in the Legacy of Change Society. Please email giving@dccentralkitchen.org or call 202-847-0221.

DESIGNATE DC CENTRAL KITCHEN

Support DC Central Kitchen through your workplace giving campaign.
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Combined Federal Campaign #67538

REQUEST A MATCHING GIFT

Many workplaces will match donations made by employees. Contact your HR department to see if your donation to DC Central Kitchen is eligible for a matching grant.

Note: DC Central Kitchen is not able to accept donations through PayPal or the PayPal Giving Fund. Any donations designated to DC Central Kitchen made through PayPal or the PayPal Giving Fund will be redirected to another nonprofit (see the PayPal Giving Fund’s Donation Delivery Policy).

Volunteer Bill of Rights

All volunteers have the right to:

  • Work in a safe environment
  • Be treated with respect by all staff members
  • Be engaged in meaningful work and be actively included regardless of any physical limitations
  • Be told what impact your work made in the community
  • Ask any staff member questions about our work
  • Provide feedback about your experience
  • Receive a copy of our financial information or annual report upon request.

Community Service

DC Central Kitchen provides opportunities for volunteers to complete service hours related to a legal matter during our regularly scheduled volunteer shifts. Candidates participating in this service for DCCK are prohibited from enrolling in our community service program if they have the following charges or convictions: assault, sexual assault, weapons charge, unlawful entry, destruction of property or disorderly conduct.
Community Service volunteers must contact Director of Guest Experience (202) 851-4207 or jmcintyre@dccentralkitchen.org or the Guest Experience Manager ( to confirm your service dates and times. A volunteer account can be created online for community service volunteers, and hours will be reported based on the shifts you are checked in for within the Volunteer Portal.
Community Service volunteers can only work at the Klein Center for Jobs and Justice (2121 First St, SW). We can accept no more than 10 court-ordered volunteers at a time. All community service volunteers are required to inform the Reception desk that you are volunteering for service hours upon check-in and should sign the Community Service Log for each visit.
Once you complete your required hours, you will receive a letter of completion and a confirmation of the number of hours completed. Your service opportunity can be terminated at any time for failure to abide by DC Central Kitchen’s regulations. Grounds for discontinuation of service include but are not limited to displaying a disruptive behavior or attitude; failing to adhere to DCCK’s dress code; or failing to show up for assigned shifts on time.