Chef Samuel Kim Wins DC Central Kitchen’s Capital Food Fight

Signature fundraising event raises $694,000 for DC Central Kitchen’s culinary training and anti-hunger programs

Chef Samuel Kim of 1789 took home the top honor last night at DC Central Kitchen’s signature fundraising event, the Capital Food Fight. Chefs Samuel Kim, Andrew Markert (Beuchert’s Saloon), George Rodrigues (Tico DC), and Theary So (Hank’s Oyster Bar) created dishes judged by some of the biggest names in the culinary world: Michael Voltaggio (Chef/Owner, ink. and Sack Sandwiches), Duff Goldman (Chef and TV Personality), and Rusty Hamlin (Chef and TV Personality). Event founder José Andrés (Chef/Owner, ThinkFoodGroup) and Spike Mendelsohn (Chef and Restaurateur) co-hosted the annual event.

Presented by Tyson Foods, the Capital Food Fight brought together over 1,200 guests, 75 tasting restaurants, as well as cocktail mixologists and live on-stage entertainment. Battling chefs were asked to create dishes using secret ingredients ranging from sweet Italian rope sausage, presented by Tyson Foods, to green beans, presented by Mann’s and Keany Produce. Chef Kim won the final battle over Theary So for his creative use of Brainfood Homegrown’s Vadouvan Curry Popcorn, presented by Whole Foods.

The event raised $694,000 for DC Central Kitchen, which earns 60 percent of its $13 million annual budget through social enterprise ventures that employ at-risk adults to serve healthy food in DC. The remaining 40 percent is secured through charitable fundraising like the Capital Food Fight. DC Central Kitchen knows a thing or two about culinary creations, winning national recognition for its scratch-cooked, locally sourced meals for DC schools. In all, the organization serves more than 3 million meals to schools, homeless shelters, and partner nonprofits each year, and helps nearly 100 culinary students trade incarceration, addiction, and homelessness for culinary careers annually.

Mayor Muriel Bowser was also in attendance at the annual fundraising event. Mayor Bowser and other VIPs could be found in the event’s exclusive Chairman’s Overlook room, tasting special dishes prepared by alumni of the popular Bravo TV series ‘Top Chef’, including chefs Mike Isabella, Jen Carroll, George Pagonis, Marjorie Meek-Bradley, and brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio.

DC Central Kitchen addresses hunger and poverty by preparing unemployed adults for culinary careers, transforming wasted food into nutritious meals for homeless shelters and nonprofits, serving award-winning farm-to-school menus to low-income schoolchildren, and delivering fresh produce and healthy snacks to corner stores in DC’s food deserts.

For a full listing of all Capital Food Fight tasting restaurants, competitors, hosts and judges, please visit www.dccentralkitchen.org.

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

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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.