September is recognized as Hunger Action Month, and this year will require even more from hunger-fighting groups like DC Central Kitchen. Hunger remains a significant concern in Washington, DC. As many as 14% of the District’s children are now food insecure, and 38% of the city’s residents say they did not always know where their next meal was coming from in the past year.
Apple’s first-ever gift to our organization will play a crucial role in achieving DC Central Kitchen’s goal of serving 350,000 nutritious meals to our community this Hunger Action Month. Given the elevated costs of food, fuel, and kitchen supplies, Apple’s gift allows DC Central Kitchen to cover the expenses involved in preparing nutritious meals by hand for more than 15,000 DC residents this September.
“DC Central Kitchen runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and we are constantly seeking out ways to better serve our community. We knew this September would require more creativity and effort from our team than ever before—and that’s when Apple stepped in to fuel our fight against hunger in Washington, DC,” says DCCK Chief Development Officer Alexander Moore. “This Hunger Action Month gift is the critical accelerator we needed to expand our high-impact programs and reach growing numbers of children, parents, and seniors all across our community.”
DC Central Kitchen is stepping up for residents across DC with an innovative slate of anti-hunger projects this September.
Fresh off a successful summer meals campaign that brought more than 126,000 meals to 50 partner sites, DC Central Kitchen has pivoted to serve nutritious meals at 30 DC schools while delivering additional meals to another 25 afterschool locations serving food insecure children. These meals include local fruits and vegetables sourced from family farms and are prepared by graduates of DC Central Kitchen’s Culinary Job Training program who have overcome past employment challenges to become thriving professionals and community leaders in our organization. In all, DC Central Kitchen will serve nutritious meals to more than 9,000 young people this month.
The organization’s Healthy Corners program continues to deliver fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables to 56 small corner stores in parts of DC without easy access to grocery stores, helping ensure kids and families can make healthy choices right in their own neighborhoods. This program provides additional incentives to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers when they select nutritious produce items, stretching available benefits and fostering healthy behaviors.
Additionally, demand among food insecure seniors and veterans for DC Central Kitchen’s home-delivered meals continues to grow. With nearly 250 people already counting on these free, scratch-cooked meals each day, DC Central Kitchen is continuing to enroll eligible participants who might otherwise struggle to find food and connection, all at no cost.
DC Central Kitchen thanks Apple for their generosity and encourages others in our community to help our hardworking culinary graduates prepare meals as volunteers. To learn more about our meals, volunteer opportunities, and training activities, please visit www.dccentralkitchen.org.