Best Practices | BP & FM | School Community Kitchen Manual
 

Community Kitchen Turn-Key Kit

The Kit will be developed during the Community Kitchen pilot project from spring 2001 through late winter 2002. Both an online version and a hard copy manual will be developed for use by schools interested in starting Community Kitchen projects. In addition, a video will be developed using footage of the pilot projects. ASFSA, DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) and a third party editor will develop the Kit. ASFSA will review all work done on the Kit and make changes deemed necessary.

Possible draft outline of Kit’s Table of Contents

• Introduction to Community Kitchens

• Definition of a Community Kitchen.

• Brief examples of a few different Community Kitchens (DCCK, etc.) possibly as sidebars.
• Background on job training opportunities for welfare recipients and the foodservice labor shortage.

• Include the greater vision of Community Kitchens (maybe save that for conclusion?)
• Role of community partnerships and collaboration in developing a successful community based project.

• Program Feasibility and Design

• Building support within the school, school district and community.
• Selling the school board on the community kitchen concept.
• Partnering with community organizations and local government agencies.
• Staff and volunteers for the project.
• Locating program funding and in-kind support.

• Training Participants

• Recruiting interested participants.
• Working with low-income participants and food stamp recipients.
• The role of partner organizations.
• The training topics, curriculum and materials, uniforms and other extras.
• Nuts and Bolts: program timeline and schedule, activities, trainers.
• Evaluating trained participants: "food handlers card," or level 1 ASFSA certification.
• Internships? Finding/providing jobs for participants.
• Tracking participants’ success and retention at new jobs.

• Food and Nutrition

• Where does the food used in the training program come from?
• What happens to food prepared as a result of the training program?
• Options: catering, kid cafes, food recovery and distribution to community organizations, school meals, family feeding, providing food to participants, others?
• Community service opportunities for schools’ students.

• Questions, Issues, Troubleshooting

• Issues and problems that arose during the pilot projects and how they were addressed.
• Issues particular to location, school size, rural vs. urban vs. suburban setting, etc.
• Funding to sustain Community Kitchen programs over time.

• Appendix: Program Guidelines.
• Appendix: Program designs/proposals from the three pilot schools.
• Appendix: List of partner organizations involved.

Please use our Discussion Board to submit information, advice, experiences, and contributions on this topic. Thank you!