Kind-hearted supporters, front-line partners, and worried neighbors have been reaching out day and night for information on DC Central Kitchen’s needs and plans during this challenging time for our city and region. We deeply appreciate these shows of trust and support and have been in overdrive collecting community input, planning distribution efforts, and pivoting our programs in response to these waves of upheaval and rising needs. We have also further refined these plans after Mayor Bowser’s welcome announcement that SNAP benefits would be provided to all eligible DC residents for the month of November. To ensure full transparency on how we’re stepping up for DC in this continually changing environment, here is a short overview of how we’re facing this crisis.
In the month of November, DC Central Kitchen is:
- Increasing meal production for targeted front-line partners who are already seeing 50% to 100% spikes in need and activating our mobile meals truck to reach parts of our city where we’re needed most. Combined, we expect to enhance service to 14 locations, primarily in Wards 6, 7, and 8 with other partnerships in Wards 1 and 5.
- Boosting grocery and staple good distribution through partnerships with mutual aid networks and assisting DC Food Project in their efforts to add five new schools to their vital School Food Pantry initiative.
- Expanding our Thanksgiving feeding efforts to record levels with meals, groceries, and turkeys for an estimated total of nearly 37,000 people.
- Continuing to provide SNAP Match benefits at 34 Healthy Corners stores so low-income customers can afford nutritious fruits and vegetables while we work closely with both shoppers and store owners to navigate what has been a confusing news cycle—ensuring continued food access and compliance with all relevant rules.
This was already going to be a difficult fall and winter for far too many of our neighbors. We’re committed to finding ways to do even more—but that’s only possible with our community’s generous support. If you’d like to help, please consider:
- Making a gift today so we can use our purchasing power and large-scale kitchen to maximize your impact. To learn more, visit our donation page or email us at giving@dccentralkitchen.org.
- Volunteer! Visit our volunteer page to see available shifts.
- Donate whole frozen turkeys to help with our record-breaking Thanksgiving project. Email procurement@dccentralkitchen.org to coordinate a drop-off.
- Help us sell out Capital Food Fight on November 6! Show your support for our fight against hunger and our 70+ tireless restaurant partners by joining us at The Anthem and purchasing your ticket today. All proceeds of this low-overhead event benefit our hunger-fighting programming!
Need other resources in seeking food assistance for yourself or others? Please visit FindHelp to learn more.