In October, DC Central Kitchen and DC Food Project kicked off our partnership to source, package, and distribute groceries to 675 families located primarily in Wards 1 and 4.
We’re happy to announce a high-impact extension of our partnership! In addition to adding new service locations, we’re working to share resources in ways that get healthy food where it’s most needed in the fastest, most intentional way. Thanks to DCCK investor Craig Newmark and his #craigstable initiative to combat hunger through creative partnerships, donations to DC Food Project will be MATCHED, up to $30,000, through April 30. These funds will help sustain DC Food Project’s critical services for children and families through the end of the school year. Their efforts alongside DC Central Kitchen come at a critical time, as 1 in 3 DC children are predicted to be facing food insecurity.
Through their Emergency Bag Program, backed by DCCK’s supply chain, DC Food Project has been able to regularly provide nearly 700 families with food for up to two weeks at a time. Using an innovative model, DC Food Project has worked closely with school administrators and staff to identify kids and families who most need this support, and then invite them to pick-up the bags at designated times at specific, convenient school sites these families know and trust. As part of DC Food Project’s model, school staff also work closely with families to ensure other needs beyond food, including social-emotional challenges, are being met with other resources.
Since its founding in 2018, DC Food Project has also worked tirelessly to ensure DC families have enough to eat during the weekend when school-provided breakfast and lunch are unavailable. During the pandemic, their work has grown exponentially to address the growing need for nourishment in our communities. DCCK is proud to be a partner of this volunteer-led initiative, which is one of the dozens of new and expanded collaborations we have forged during the pandemic to meet DC’s rising rates of food insecurity. You can support DC Food Project’s work and have your gift matched by Craig Newmark here.