Program Overview

Introduction to Campus Kitchen

The Campus Kitchen is an emerging leader in community service for students and resourceful anti-hunger programs for communities around the country. The program empowers thousands of students each year to recycle food from their cafeterias, turn these donations into nourishing meals, and deliver those meals to those who need it most.

Program Details

The Campus Kitchen program is run entirely by students, who plan the menus, get the food, run the cooking shifts, organize the drivers, provide nutrition programs for local children, and teach culinary skills to unemployed adults. The students also keep track of all the paperwork, organize fundraisers, develop curriculum, and recruit new students to get involved.

Operational Developments

Campus Kitchen has accomplished several operational milestones, including:

• Launching a website that contains information about the organization, showcases the statistics behind its impact, and shares how anyone can contribute to fighting hunger.
• Starting a helper shift at the Campus Food Pantry that helps stock shelves and distribute food to those in need weekly.
• Partnering with sororities to pick up food donations to support the Auburn Family Meals program.
• Initiating fraternity pickups, with plans to continue them in the future.
• Establishing a weekly pickup from the Culinary School and collecting unserved food from various events around campus.

New Partnerships

Campus Kitchen has established valuable connections with individuals and families who receive their food services. The organization has:

• Included additional members in its Meals on Wheels delivery routes, garnering positive feedback from current beneficiaries.
• Partnered with several organizations, such as Bell Missionary Baptist Church, ACHR, and Timothy Manor.
• Extended its office hours on Fridays to better accommodate the schedules of busy students.

Appearances and Engagements

Over the past year, Campus Kitchen has been actively engaging with the Auburn University community and beyond to raise awareness about its mission and encourage involvement in its efforts to combat food insecurity. This includes:

• Hosting open houses at Lupton Hall.
• Organizing a Momma Goldberg's Benefit Night to raise additional funds for its cause.
• Making appearances at various events to educate the community about its work.
• Participating in events such as TALONS Day sessions and the Camp War Eagle Student Involvement Browse.

Grants and Awards

Campus Kitchen has recently been recognized for its outstanding community involvement efforts, receiving:

• Two grants from Publix and the Thomas P. Waters Foundation.
• The Fred and Charlene Kam "Human Touch" Award for its outstanding involvement in the community.

Tiger Giving Day

Campus Kitchen successfully raised $10,000 for its Tiger Giving Day project, which was focused on advancing its operations and creating a web-based app. The funds will be used to collaborate with outside partners and software engineers to create a comprehensive app that will allow the organization to delegate shifts, gain insights on how to streamline operations, and view data instantly.