Washington, DC – October 16, 2024 – Today, DC Central Kitchen is proud to announce its selection as a 2024 Hilton Global Foundation grant recipient, receiving $400,000 in support of the organization’s work in hospitality career development.
These efforts align with Travel With Purpose, Hilton’s strategy to drive responsible travel and tourism as well as the Hilton Global Foundation priorities of environmental sustainability, career development and community resilience.
DC Central Kitchen was selected for its efforts to foster positive environmental and social change in its local communities. The support from the Hilton Global Foundation will support critical efforts to meet the growing needs of the community, expanding its workforce development programming to serve 250 people annually, and increase daily meal production to 25,000 by the end of 2025.
“Hilton has been an important partner of DC Central Kitchen for more than a decade, supporting volunteer activities, culinary education, and food recovery efforts,” says DC Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin, Jr. “Over the past 35 years, more than 2,300 adults and young people who have faced incarceration, homelessness, addiction, and trauma have come to the Kitchen to learn the vital technical and soft skills necessary to build rewarding and life-changing careers in the hospitality industry. Our city needs us now more than ever, and partners like Hilton and the Hilton Global Foundation will help us continue to step up to create real change where it’s needed most.”
The Hilton Global Foundation awards annual grants to nonprofits that are improving travel destinations, creating economic opportunities for all and helping Hilton advance its Travel with Purpose 2030 Goals through partnering with organizations driving destination environmental sustainability, career development and community resilience.
“The Hilton Global Foundation is proud to support DC Central Kitchen in their efforts to grow its workforce development programming,” said Katherine Lugar, EVP, corporate affairs, Hilton and president, Hilton Global Foundation. “The Hilton Global Foundation was created based on the belief that travel can be a powerful, positive force for good. The 2024 Hilton Global Foundation grant recipients have shown the impact that people and organizations can have when they come together to make an impact in their communities, and we look forward to seeing the transformative results of this grant.”
About DC Central Kitchen
DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. Our approach provides hands-on culinary job training while creating living-wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed in our city. We serve scratch-cooked farm-to-school meals in DC schools; deliver fresh, affordable produce to corner stores in neighborhoods without supermarkets; provide delicious catering; and operate fast-casual cafes that also provide on-the-job training. To learn more, visit dccentralkitchen.org or follow @dccentralkitchen on Instagram and Threads, as well as @dcck on X.
About Hilton Global Foundation
The Hilton Global Foundation is Hilton’s primary international philanthropic arm. The Foundation is a nonprofit established in the U.S. and is a registered 501(c)3 charitable organization. The Foundation awards grants, in alignment with Hilton’s Travel with Purpose 2030 Goals, that have a positive impact on travel destinations around the world. Foundation grants are awarded throughout the year in accordance with tax and legal requirements. Learn more about the Hilton Global Foundation at HiltonGlobalFoundation.hilton.com