If you care about hunger and poverty in DC—and we know you do—it’s been a hard year. DC has the country’s highest unemployment rate. Thirrty-nine percent of our city is now food insecure.
The causes behind this are complex and interconnected. But we can keep some things simple. When people are hungry, we should feed them. When people are out of work, we should help them find good jobs. When people feel divided and discouraged, we should remind them how principled and compassionate our community really is.
Simply put, our city needs healthy food, job training, and reasons for hope like never before. Good thing the experts at The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently praised DC Central Kitchen for being front-line innovators who “lean into crises rather than retreat from them” and “think beyond the immediate problem of hunger and invest in long-term economic mobility.”
We’re ready to lean in and level up with our bold plan to take on hunger and poverty in DC. But we need your help. Thanks to a $200,000 challenge grant from The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation between now and October 31, your fully matched donation will address these vital needs:
- Good food. Serving an average of 17,000 meals a day has never been more urgent, or more costly. Your donation buys nutritious ingredients for scratch-cooked meals and healthy groceries for our hardest-hit households. From home-delivered meals for seniors to award-winning school lunches for kids to infant formula for struggling families, we provide the right food in the right ways at tremendous scale.
- Meaningful jobs. Our tuition-free Culinary Job Training program has helped more than 2,500 people overcome homelessness, incarceration, and addiction on their way to real careers. Investing in up-front training and ongoing employment for a record number of students this year—here at DC Central Kitchen and at hotels and restaurants across the city—offers a lasting pathway out of hunger and poverty.
- Engaged volunteers. Our 19,000 volunteers are huge help…and every one needs a hairnet, gloves, kitchen supplies, a seamless registration process, and guidance on how to safely prepare a few thousand great meals at a time.
- Rapid distribution. Our fleet—which includes 20 delivery vehicles, food trucks, and even a mobile urban garden—is on the road 365 days a year, dropping off meals, recovering food donations, picking up from local farmers, and bringing discounted, fresh produce to 50 corner stores in underserved neighborhoods.
Leaning in matters most when it’s hardest to do. Our road ahead in DC this fall won’t be easy, but with your generosity today, we’re ready to level up…together. Please make your fully-matched gift today.