We believe that hunger is a symptom of the deeper problem of poverty, and food is our tool for changing lives and addressing systemic failures.
WHY WE ARE HERE
to break the cycle of hunger and poverty
WHO WE WORK WITH
in partnership with our community
THE THREE END GOALS THAT DRIVE OUR WORK
our “triple bottom line”
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEANINGFUL CAREERS
How did we do this year?
87%
job placement rate among graduates from our Culinary Job Training program, with 85% retaining jobs one year post-graduation.
Meet Chris: DC Central Kitchen graduate and employee on our team
After serving 14 years in prison, Chris enrolled at DC Central Kitchen and turned his life around. He's one of 83 graduates working full-time on our team, starting at above the DC living wage with comprehensive benefits, including free health insurance and a seeded 401k account with a 100% employer match.
MoreEXPAND HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS
HOW DID WE DO THIS YEAR?
3.2 million
nutritious meals prepared for local shelters, nonprofits, and public schools
Walking for food access
In DC's Ward 8, healthy food is hard to come by, with just three supermarkets serving 150,000 residents. This year, we participated as a Planning Partner in the first-ever Grocery Walk highlighting this "grocery gap." Led by our friends at DC Greens, the event drew over 500 residents to rally around the cause.
MoreTEST INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS
HOW DID WE DO THIS YEAR?
96%
reduction in recidivism rates among DC Central Kitchen graduates with histories of incarceration, compared to the national average
One man’s path from prison to saving lives as a recruiter at DC Central Kitchen
This Washington Post article tells the story of Tony Vinson, a Culinary Job Training graduate who now works on our Culinary Job Training program. Every day, he works to help others follow in his footsteps toward a fresh start.
MoreWe want to take things on that people say are too hard, that can’t be done. It’s easy to doubt, to say let someone else do it. Our job is to try.
'- Mike Curtin, DC Central Kitchen CEO
In memory
Our long-time Culinary Job Training Director, Marianne Ali, was recognized by the Council of the District of Columbia with a ceremonial proclamation honoring her two decades of service and significant contributions to our life-changing job training program. Her passing in August was memorialized at an event with José Andrés, Carla Hall, Robert Egger, and hundreds of her former students.
Financials
We continued to generate more than half of our operating revenue through our own sustainable social enterprises, and we continued to keep our expenses lean, directing 5.9% toward fundraising and development and 8.7% toward general and management. The following chart shows the breakdown of our diverse revenue sources: [responsive_chart mobile=”10543″ tablet=”10542″ desktop=”10541″]