DC Central Kitchen, Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) community corporation that was incorporated on July 27, 1988 and began its first phase of operations on January 20, 1989. The Kitchen is founded on the premise that waste is wrong, be it food, money, or the potential for people to live productive lives. In 15 years, DC Central Kitchen has grown to become a national model for more than 60 community kitchens operating throughout the United States, and has itself become a national program operating in 6 states and the DC metropolitan area.

Mission

The mission of DC Central Kitchen is to use food as a tool to:

Strengthen Bodies, by safely recovering unserved food from local foodservice businesses to feed children and adults at partner agencies throughout the greater Washington area.
Empower Minds, by providing culinary job training for unemployed men and women and community service opportunities for youth and adults.
Build Communities, by providing working examples, innovative solutions, and shared technology to a cooperative and effective national network of programs that use food to make change in their communities.