Volunteering at D.C. Central Kitchen

On Sunday, May 1st, I volunteered at D.C. Central Kitchen. Founded in 1989, D.C. Central Kitchen has prepared 25 million meals for low-income and at-risk neighbors in Washington, D.C. They dish out 5,000 meals every day that are loaded into fleets of trucks and distributed at little or no cost to 100 nearby homeless shelters, transitional homes, and nonprofit organizations, saving them money and nourishing their clients. Their motto is "Our mission is to use food as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds, and build communities." 

For those who are not aware, DC Central Kitchen is located 425 2nd St NW, Washington, DC 2000, right on the corner of 2nd and H Street. The organization has numerous opportunities to volunteer and the process to get involved is easy, simply go to http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/volunteering/,  fill out the simple registration and pick a shift to work and you're good to go. They have shifts every morning and every evening that anyone can signup to work. A word to the wise though, the weekend shifts fill up fast so signing up in advance is a good idea. They offer two different types of volunteer opportunities; Meal Prep which is located at the main kitchen or nutrition lab which consists of a 3-hour shift of basic food preparation including chopping, peeling, or washing food. The second opportunity is called First Helping which consists of a 4-hour shift serving food and hot drinks in three locations in Washington D.C. I volunteered for the morning prep shift from 9 am to 12 pm. 

During my shift I cleaned and chopped numerous vegetables, I hand made over 100 chicken patties and cooked them on the grill, and then I made over four pounds of grits. Lastly I helped packaged the food and carry the prepared meals to the trucks for delivery.  I worked along side with a chef named Mr. Greg who has been with the organization for many years, he was very friendly and extremely patient with me which I appreciated because I do not have the best cooking skills. Everyone who worked there was very friendly and dedicated to helping others. This has been one of the best experiences I have had since moving to D.C. and I cannot wait to go back for another shift. 

Catherine Rogers