Five Campus Kitchens Open in 2010

The Campus Kitchen at Union College's inaugural shift saw 150 student volunteers from environmental groups, culinary clubs and Greek organizations pack into the kitchen, mold meatballs and bake cookies. The unusual mix of volunteers then served their first cold meals at a local shelter where they also planned to host hot, sit-down dinners to acquaint students with their Schenectady, N.Y. community.

One volunteer, Rebecca Robinson, told Union News: "This program really makes you open your eyes to what good you can do by not only preserving good food, but also helping others who need a hand."

Coordinators at four other brand new Campus Kitchens witnessed a similar scene as they crafted and delivered their first meals. And at each location (Union College, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Lawrence University, University of Virginia, and University of Massachusetts Boston) the goals of running a community kitchen ran parallel to each other: get students sharing and learning from their adopted communities.

The Campus Kitchen at Washington University in St. Louis began meal service January 24 with two community partners: The Shalom House, a special needs women's shelter, and Our Lady's Inn, an expectant and young mothers shelter. Kitchen volunteers worked alongside a familiar organization: the Campus Kitchen at Saint Louis University, the founding kitchen for The Campus Kitchens Project.

The two St. Louis kitchens share more than a city; they deliver full meals to Our Lady's Inn on separate days each week. They also plan to partner for food pickup and drop off from local food banks.

Halfway across the country, St. Lawrence University began meal service January 28, inviting the community to their kitchen space with a kick off event. Students led tours of the kitchen and hosted a food information fair to raise awareness before preparing their first sit-down, community meal.

"We're an affluent university set in the poorest county in New York state," said Stacey Sommerfield, director of the campus service center. "It costs about $50,000 to go here, but the average income is $20,000."

February brought the opening of Campus Kitchens at Union College (February 3), University of Massachusetts Boston (February 11), and University of Virginia (February 14). Volunteers at the Campus Kitchen at University of Massachusetts Boston, a national partner, prepped meals to serve in the low-income Dorchester neighborhood. The leadership team from the Campus Kitchen at University of Virginia delivered meals at the Salvation Army, where they planned to later implement nutrition education for local youth programs.

The five Campus Kitchen openings in 2010 bring the total number of kitchens up to 25, and by the end of February, East Carolina University's addition will make 26. As The Campus Kitchens Project continues to grow across the United States, students at each Campus Kitchen will extend their reach into their adopted communities.