News for Core Programs

Will Farrell: Leading Up Baking at DCCK

Will Farrell is one of DC Central Kitchen’s friendliest faces. A graduate of DC Central Kitchen’s Culinary Job Training Program, Will now works for DCCK as a culinary lead. He’s been doing great things leading meal production and working with volunteers. Now he’s using his knowledge to expand DCCK’s baking capacities.

While incarcerated, Will became a certified baker through the Department of Labor, and through this program, he realized how much he enjoyed baking and how good he was at it.

As a vegetarian, baking also suits him better than cooking. He hopes to use the hours of baking instruction he received in jail toward a degree in baking and the pastry arts.

For now, Will is using his baking knowledge to bake quick breads for healthy snacks in DC Public Schools. He has also been preparing biscuits and muffins for DCCK’s catering branch, and hopes to soon provide even more offerings. He has been sharing his knowledge about baking with other DCCK chefs, and we have been expanding our baking equipment in the kitchen with recent purchases including a mixer and baking pans. Will is certainly helping us up the ante of our baking in the Kitchen, and we look forward to seeing what else he has in store for us!

How We’re Engaging Local Businesses

We’ve partnered with 30 corner stores to deliver fresh fruits and veggies to DC neighborhoods without fully stocked grocery stores.

We couldn’t do our work without our growing list of business partnerships. Here’s a recap of their amazing contributions.

Local Restaurants
Restaurants have always been an integral part of what we do. It all started in 1989 when our founder, Robert Egger, started recovering food from local restaurants, hotels, and catering operations to be used in meals to feed hungry district residents. Since then, restaurants have given us much more than leftovers. From participating in our events to providing internships and job opportunities for our culinary students, restaurants are the bread and butter of what makes DC Central Kitchen work.

Local Farmers
When we do have to buy food, we’re committed to buying local. In 2012, we invested $156,523 into our area economy by purchasing produce and meat from area farmers. We increased the total poundage of locally sourced food in our meals by 22% from 2011. Last year, 30% of all of the ingredients used in our school meals were locally sourced.

DC Corner Stores
We’re combating poor health and creating opportunities for small businesses through Healthy Corners, our wholesale delivery service that provides fresh fruits and veggies to communities without fully stocked supermarkets. In 2012, our 30 partner corner stores sold $33,000 worth of fresh produce.

Food Distributors
In 2012, our Nutrition Lab facility in Northeast DC facilitated the recovery of 320,000 pounds of fresh produce from local food distributors. These are good fruits and veggies that are fresh and healthy, but are not perfect enough for sale. Our relationships with these distributors have led them to increase their donations over the years, allowing us to make our donations go further.

Workplaces
Last year, we received over $432,949 dollars in workplace giving campaign contributions from employees working at local businesses and government agencies based in the region. We’re proud of their support and their efforts to get more involved in our work by volunteering and hosting group fundraisers.

Corporations
DC Central Kitchen receives significant financial and in-kind support from local corporate partners. We’re proud to have many of our corporate partners listed as top corporate philanthropists by the Washington Business Journal, including Capital One, Clark Enterprises, Lockheed Martin, Marriott International, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Geppetto Catering, and many others.

5 Ways We Work With Other Nonprofits To Make Change

James Weeks of our street outreach team helps refer chronically homeless clients to crucial services provided by over 30 nonprofit partners.

DC Central Kitchen doesn’t exist in a vacuum. We are aware that other nonprofits are out there doing important work to make change. This is why we’re always trying to build connections with those programs. Here are some of the partnerships we’ve built:

Meal Distribution
We’ve partnered with 88 nonprofits around DC to provide 5,000 balanced meals every day. The nonprofits receiving our meals reinvest the money we save them back into their unique programming where it can make an even greater impact.

First Helping
Through our street outreach program, we’re using over 180 balanced meals each day to engage hundreds of chronically homeless men and women with crucial services provided by over 30 nonprofit partners, who can offer the next step on the road to recovery. Last year, our outreach team referred 59 of those clients to stable housing.

Culinary Job Training
The majority of students in our Culinary Job Training Program are referred to us from other nonprofits. As students work their way through the course, we ensure they still have access to the crucial social services provided by our nonprofit partners so they can stay committed to their studies.

Healthy School Food
We’re excited to be part of the DC Farm to School Network, where we work with nonprofits like the DC Greens to educate and connect D.C. schoolchildren with the sources of their food by creating experiential learning opportunities such as chef demonstrations, farmer visits, and taste tests. This effort is crucial to empowering kids to eat healthier.

Funds for Programming
We can’t forget Martha’s Table and the United Way of the National Capital Area, who we just partnered with to raise funds to fight hunger through the United Way’s Do More 24 event. We’ve also joined Martha’s Table for the past 4 years to promote Sips & Suppers, a celebration of food and community that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for both organizations.

Partner Relations: Keeping DCCK’s Machine Running

Meals in transport containers ready to be distributed to our partner nonprofits.

It takes more than chefs to distribute 5,000 meals every day to 88 partner agencies around DC. DC Central Kitchen’s Partner Relations Team is well-connected to the nonprofits we serve. We sat down with Marissa Dungan, DCCK’s Food Distribution Coordinator, to learn more about how Partner Relations puts the moving parts together.

Coordinating With Client Agencies
Getting food where it needs to be is more than just packaging meals and sending them out on trucks. It takes extensive coordination and planning to make sure we’re serving each agency’s needs. This is where Marissa comes in. She starts a client relationship with an initial site visit. The agency is then trained in proper food handling. Once they have the proper certification, the agency can receive our meals. Then it’s a matter of checking in periodically and making sure our food is getting to the people that need it.

Providing Customer Service
Partner Relations serves as the customer service hotline when there are issues with dropped off food. Marissa will alert the Kitchen to any food quality issues or transportation problems.

Surveying Clients
It’s important to know what clients think. Marissa regularly surveys the agencies about their meals and that feedback is valuable in meal planning.

Managing Data
Marissa maintains all of the records and schedules of our meals. Eventually, all of this data will be integrated into our new Performance Management System, where we can report on outcomes and determine ways to improve.

Making an Impact
Last year, DC Central Kitchen saved shelters, addiction treatment centers, after-school programs, and other nonprofits in the DC area over 3.6 million dollars. By producing and distributing meals, we’re saving these nonprofits millions in food and personnel costs. Marissa and our Partner Relations Team play a crucial role in producing these cost savings that enable our partner nonprofits to do more unique programming.

Strawberries and Salad Greens Are Back At DC Public Schools

Last week, students at the ten DC schools we serve participated in the fourth annual Strawberries and Salad Greens day, a celebration of the spring harvest and showcase for locally grown produce. The lunch menu for the day featured fresh strawberries from Kilmer’s Farm in Inwood, WV and romaine salad with tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette with lettuce from Plochs Farm in Clifton, NJ along with a baked chicken drumstick, whole wheat roll, and milk.

The kids at our schools are used to seeing a wide variety of local produce on their school food menus. Last year DC Central Kitchen purchased 215,000 pounds of local food, with approximately 172,000 pounds going to meals served at our schools. Students get especially excited about the arrival of strawberries each spring, which arrive with special demonstrations and hands on activities.

In addition to a special menu, students also got to do some taste testing and learn about how our food grows. Chef Ed, Director of School Food Service and Katie Nash, our registered dietician prepared strawberry chips and strawberry lemonade for the kids at Thomas Elementary School to taste during their lunch period. Chef Christina did the same for her students at Walker Jones Elementary School.

The Truck Farm, our traveling garden exhibit, stopped by CW Harris Elementary School. Students were able to touch, smell, and in some cases, even taste the herbs and veggies growing inside. At Kelly Miller Middle School, Jean, a volunteer, showed kids how strawberries grow.