This past year, as the pandemic continued its devastating tour through our city and nation, DC Central Kitchen was honored by the outpouring of support from friends, neighbors, and community members. To support our COVID-19 Response efforts, which include serving over 3.3 million emergency meals to local shelters, senior citizens, and front-line nonprofits, we were so excited to partner with five amazing groups and individuals for the following virtual community FUNdraisers:
- In 2020, DC Central Kitchen was thrilled to partner with two local artists to support our COVID-19 relief efforts. In April, we worked with Rose Jaffee to launch a limited-edition SWAG campaign. Jaffe is a visual artist, with mediums spanning mural painting, ceramics, printmaking and digital illustration. She is dedicated to the work of harnessing the power of art to find connection, build community, heal each other, and spark social change and we were so honored to work with her to expand our delivery of healthy food to those in need. In addition, in November, creator of the Feed the Malik blog, Anela Malik, donated 50% of proceeds from her online shop to DC Central Kitchen!
- As schools switched to virtual learning and students lost access to DCCK’s award winning school food program, artist and teacher Christine Vineyard was worried. “I was also feeling very helpless as far as being able to directly aid my students, who are predominantly food insecure. I was feeling pulled to help DCCK as well as the restaurants, bars, and small businesses in the area that I love and were struggling.” So, she took her worry to the page, creating and selling illustrations of her favorite spots around the city and donating the profits back to DCCK. “With over $5000 donated, I was able to collaborate with DCCK and get to know the amazing people behind the work they do, while also garnering a better understanding of the true expansive nature of their organization, and just how far their reach is. I have so much respect and am in awe of what they do for our community, and was totally honored to be able to contribute in a small way.”
- In July 2020, we teamed up with Flying Dog Brewery to present some of DC’s top chefs with a challenge – develop the best recipe featuring one of Flying Dog’s beers! The result was Dog Chow, a digital cookbook featuring unique Flying Dog-themed recipes, like sourdough bread, beer-battered fish and chips, smokehouse burgers, and more. The cookbook raised over $5,000! Learn more about this project here: https://dccentralkitchen.org/2020/07/16/dog-chow-dcck-flying-dog/
- For 11 years, students in the Clay Club at Flint Hill School have hosted a live event to raise funds for DC Central Kitchen and to raise awareness for the problem of food insecurity in the Washington, DC area. Students make bowls that are sold to raise funds for DCCK as a part of the Empty Bowls movement, which supports food-related charitable organizations around the world. This year was no exception and we were thrilled to partner with Flint Hill School for a virtual fundraiser, supporting our work and mission. Learn more about this meaningful project and the Clay Club students’ efforts here: https://one.bidpal.net/dcckemptybowls/about
Thank you to those who supported us during this difficult time. For more information on hosting your own fundraiser for DC Central Kitchen, contact Mariah Hayes, Event Specialist, at mhayes@dccentralkitchen.org.