Capital Food Fight
October 2006

The Capital Food Fight is a fundraiser initiated in 2004 by DC star chef José Andrés. On November 15th top local and visiting chefs battle it out at an all-star culinary event whose proceeds benefit DC Central Kitchen. Food Network stars Dave Lieberman and Mark Silverstein co-host while Anthony Bourdain and Kojo Nnamdi judge the battling chefs including Ken Oringer of Clio, Vikram Garg of Indebleu, Roberto Donna of Galileo and Bob Kinkead of Kinkead’s.

About DC Central Kitchen:

DC Central Kitchen is not a "soup kitchen." Instead of satisfying someone’s hunger for one day, they help them satisfy their hunger for life. In response to unsuccessful efforts elsewhere, DC Central Kitchen developed a comprehensive model known as a Community Kitchen and continue to refine that model today. Their cohesive approach to solving the interconnected problems of poverty, hunger, and homelessness has led them to become a leaders in their field.

For seventeen years, DC Central Kitchen has been “Feeding the Soul of the City” by recovering unused food, providing free, nutritious meals to shelters and other local social service agencies, training homeless men and women in the food service industry, and offering hope through empowerment. DC Central Kitchen uses the existing ingredients of our society to satisfy hunger, promote self-sufficiency, and change lives.

Programs of DC Central Kitchen:

The Kitchen focuses its holistic efforts into nine inter-connected main program areas.

1. As part of the Food Recycling program, the Kitchen collects and re-prepares more than one ton of surplus food every day from area food service businesses.

2. The Meal Distribution program provides meals to community non-profit programs throughout the DC metropolitan area, saving them money and allowing them to focus on their own unique and worthy missions.

3. The Kitchen offers a nationally recognized 12-week Culinary Job Training program for unemployed adults who are either homeless or receiving public assistance. It is a cohesive effort to teach culinary, professional, and life skills to individuals seeking self-sufficiency and financial stability.

4. Healthy Returns initiative offers healthy meals, quality snacks, and nutrition education to disadvantaged youth through partnerships with DC area social service agencies.

5. The Kitchen operates a full-service catering company and employment development project: Fresh Start Catering, which not only provides outstanding catering service to clients, but excellent employment opportunities for graduates of the Culinary Job Training Program.

6. New Beginnings, a high-quality food service provider and employer of Kitchen graduates, offers clients menus catered to specific dietary needs. New Beginnings provides more than 1,600 age-friendly and dietary-specific meals everyday for youth centers and meal programs for the elderly.

7. Through First Helping, the Kitchen provides citywide, street-level meal services, referrals, and counseling to people who are homeless. They have also initiated a low-cost community voice mail program to help homeless individuals maintain contact with family members, employers, and service agencies.

8. DC Central Kitchen puts its model to work on university campuses through The Campus Kitchens Project SM, providing a unique service leadership opportunity for young scholars. Since opening the pilot Campus Kitchen at Saint Louis University in October 2001, seven more locations are thriving at Dillard University in New Orleans, Northwestern University outside of Chicago, Marquette University in Milwaukee, Gonzaga University in Spokane, Minnesota State University in Mankato, Augsburg College in Minneapolis and Gonzaga College High School here in DC.

9. Developed by DC Central Kitchen, Kitchens INC (In National Cooperation) is an Internet-based network that serves as a preeminent resource and best-practices database for civic-minded individuals across the country as they develop and establish community kitchens.