At DC Central Kitchen, we’re used to doing what it takes to get the job done. But the past twelve months challenged us, beginning with well laid plans and pivoting rapidly to respond to the urgent needs of the community, exacerbated by the pandemic. Our annual report tells the story of this pivot, as DC Central Kitchen was pushed to the limit and pushed back, centering our mission of using food as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds, and build communities through our dynamic emergency response efforts. While it can be hard to remember what life was like before March 2020, we also want to shine a light on what our generous supporters made possible in the months preceding the pandemic. Here is a round up of six of our favorite stories from the start of our most recent fiscal year in summer and fall of 2019.
- DCCK graduate wins Georgetown University business pitch competition: DCCK was thrilled to congratulate graduates Sophia McKinney (Class 111) and Ralph Green (Class 112) who were selected to participate in Georgetown University’s inaugural Pivot Cohort in the summer of 2019. Learn more about this program and our graduates here.
- Alumni Spotlight: Michael: “The biggest thing is finding people who care about you,” says Michael, graduate and Class Representative of Class 115 with perfect attendance and the highest GPA in his class. Learn more about Michael in our Alumni Spotlight Here.
- DC Central Kitchen hosts the Nutrition Educator Summit: At DC Central Kitchen, we pride ourselves in providing open-source, easily scalable programming and in the summer of 2019, we were excited to take our efforts one step further by hosting The Nutrition Educator Summit. Learn more about this exciting event here.
- Washington City Paper: The Changing Face of Food Events: The restaurant industry in our city is brimming with opportunity for diverse talent and leadership. DCCK is proud to be on the forefront of this inclusive culinary work, engaging with individuals of all backgrounds to show our students that they can succeed in the industry. Learn more about the changing face of food in this article from Washington City Paper.
- A Family the Cooks Together: At DC Central Kitchen Cafe’s November graduation, the audience watched as two generations, a father and a son, came together to celebrate new opportunities and a love of cooking. James, a DC Central Kitchen employee and graduate of our Culinary Job Training program, watched his 18-year-old son Trey take this big step too. Learn more about their incredible journey here.
- DCCK employee and graduate awarded scholarship to kick-start counseling career: Each year, we award one outstanding DC Central Kitchen employee and graduate with our North Star scholarship to help them reach new career goals. In 2019, we were proud to recognize Manouchka Bolden, CJT graduate, mother of six, and Workforce Development Program Assistant. Learn more about Manouchka here.
Thank you for making all of this, and so much more, possible. Your support has allowed us to step up in a time of great need, impacting thousands across our city and we are grateful for your help as we strive to fight hunger differently. Learn more about how we did so in 2020 and beyond in our FY20 Annual Report.