Chef José Andrés and DCCK CEO Mike Curtin in front of The Klein Center for Jobs and Justice/Rey Lopez
Elected officials, top philanthropists, and community advocates gathered on September 23rd for a ‘first look’ at our new headquarters, The Michael R. Klein Center for Jobs and Justice, before it opens in Southwest DC later this fall. With 36 percent of DC residents facing food insecurity in 2021, the 36,000 sq. ft. Klein Center will include the additional space and equipment we need to expand our dynamic programming and continue to bring fresh food where it is needed most.
To help our project achieve its full potential, renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés pledged an extraordinary $500,000 matching challenge to support our program growth in the Klein Center.
Andrés’s donation was motivated by both his long-standing history with DCCK and by his desire to accelerate the growth of our pioneering Healthy Corners program, an innovative solution that has captured his imagination.
“For decades, I have seen DC Central Kitchen unlock the potential of people and reimagine the power of food to change lives. My gift today is made in that same spirit, encouraging others to join me in helping this organization enter a new future of boundless potential,” Andrés said.
Teaming up with Andrés as “a cook and a nerd,” longtime supporter and craigslist founder Craig Newmark has also pledged his own $250,000 match, doubling donations to support our essential programming needs. Together, the two will double the next $750,000 in gifts to support DC Central Kitchen.
These generous matches will help us increase the number of Culinary Job Training graduates by 150%, create 50 new, full-time, living wage jobs, and double our meal production to 25,000 nutritious, locally sourced meals each day.
Check out Mark Segrave’s full recap of the event on NBC4, and visit https://bringingthekitchenhome.org/ to learn more about how The Klein Center will allow us to build lasting solutions to food insecurity and social injustice in our community. Our full Flickr album can be found here.