The Campus Kitchens Project to Serve Its Two Millionth Meal

WASHINGTON, July 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Campus Kitchens Project will serve its two millionth meal on August 6 in Washington, D.C. Student leaders from across the country will gather and demonstrate their power to use resources on campus to fight hunger and reduce food waste.

"This event is an incredible milestone for these student leaders, who have managed to deliver two million healthy meals to food insecure communities simply by using the resources already available on campus," said Laura Toscano, director of The Campus Kitchens Project. "But at the same time, it's not a celebration. This is two million too many. We know we can't end hunger with food, and all of our student leaders are committed to going beyond delivering meals to address the underlying root causes of food insecurity."

Over 30 students from 14 college campuses that are part of The Campus Kitchens Project will prepare the meals and deliver them to the Guy Mason Recreation Center, where students and residents of Glover Park Village will share an intergenerational meal.

The meal will be an expanded version of the regular weekly delivery that is provided to the residents of the Glover Park community by the Campus Kitchen at Washington D.C.

The event will also honor the long standing partnership between The Campus Kitchens Project and Sodexo Foundation, a supporter of The Campus Kitchens Project since its launch in 2001. Since that time, Sodexo Foundation has invested more than $1,300,000 in the organization and continues to support network expansion to new schools. 

"Imagine having three children, but the means to properly feed only two. This dilemma is a reality for the children of our nation's capital where more than 30 percent of them are at risk of hunger," said George Chavel, president and CEO, Sodexo. "We're proud of our longstanding partnership and congratulate The Campus Kitchens Project on its efforts and impact in reducing these sobering hunger figures in communities all across the country."

When: Tuesday, August 6th, from 9:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST

Photo/Interview Ops

• Chef Rock Harper of DC Central Kitchen will present a knife skills lesson (how to de-bone a turkey) for students from 9:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Cooking shift (Which includes students prepping proteins, vegetables, starches and desserts) from 9:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Lunch service from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Where

• Student prep work and cooking site: The Campus Kitchen at Washington D.C.: St. Luke's Mission Center, 3655 Calvert Street, NW, Washington, DC
• Lunch service site: Guy Mason Recreation Center, Lounge Room 1B, 3600 Calvert St, NW, Washington, DC (Walking distance across the street from St. Luke's Mission Center)

About The Campus Kitchens Project

Founded in 2001, The Campus Kitchens Project is a national organization that empowers student volunteers to fight hunger in their community. On 33 university and high school campuses across the country, students transform unused food from dining halls, grocery stores, restaurants, and farmers' markets into meals that are delivered to local agencies serving those in need. By taking the initiative to run a community kitchen, students develop entrepreneurial and leadership skills, along with a commitment to serve their community, that they will carry with them into future careers. Each Campus Kitchen goes beyond meals by using food as a tool to promote poverty solutions, implement garden initiatives, participate in nutrition education, and convene food policy events. To learn more about our work or bring The Campus Kitchens Project to your school, visit www.campuskitchens.org.

About Sodexo in North America

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On-site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $20 million in grants to end childhood hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at blogs.sodexousa.com.

SOURCE Sodexo Inc.