The family of 20 campus kitchens that make up The Campus Kitchens Project saw a lot of highs and lows, cabbage and carrots, PB&J’s and pastas, tomatoes and turkeys in 2009. The year of an ill economy, swine flue epidemic, and a healthcare overhaul also marked a period of successes for CKP.

We think 2009 was a pretty good year for The Campus Kitchens Project – and it’s all thanks to the dedicated staff, students, volunteers, and community partners who helped make hunger relief a real and growing force in each community. Together, the campus kitchens reached the million meals milestone, hung up our chef’s hats in five new kitchens, and ushered in greener and more local food movements. It’s hard to believe we accomplished so much in 2009. But what’s harder to believe? All of it was done in addition to the usual meals cooked and delivered by students each day.

The top five moments of 2009:

1. Millions Milestones: We did it. We’re millionaires. Something about the end of the decade and exponential increase of kitchens serving meals helped us reach two “millions” milestones. In May, CKP’s pounds of food recovered spilled just over the million mark. Then, in October, something more impressive: kitchens came together in Washington, D.C. (during the CKP National Leadership Conference!) to serve the millionth meal. View footage of the event here.

2. CKP became a MLK Day of Service Grantee: Campuses are great at preparing meals day in and day out, but sometimes need an extra infusion of cash and support to kick services into high gear. Enter the Corporation for National and Community Service and their MLK Day of Service grants.

The award allowed CKP to give thousands of dollars to campus kitchens and other organizations around the country. In the first year of the MLK Day grant, CKP’s group of sub-grantees gathered over 1000 volunteers to carry on the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., bridging barriers, empowering individuals, and strengthening communities. Students at the Campus Kitchen at Jacksonville University held two community barbeques in an effort to build trust between the isolated student population and their neighbors. Looking forward to MLK Day 2010, CKP will aid organizations in gathering hundreds more volunteers to work against hunger relief and provide other basic human needs.

3. Five New Campus Kitchens Open: The Campus Kitchen’s Project has seen years of growth, but none were perhaps as robust as increasing the existing kitchen fleet by one third. CKP opened five new kitchens: University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, University of Florida, Baylor University, Johns Hopkins University and Lee University in January 2009. In less than a year, each kitchen has already carved out its own niche as a valuable asset in the community, jump-starting gleaning programs, planning for culinary job training classes, becoming sole providers for community soup kitchens, and developing a strong base of student leadership. We can’t wait to see what these kitchens have in store for next year!

4. Walmart Becomes a National Partner, Fuels Expansion: In addition to the Sodexo Foundation, the initial funder and supporter of The Campus Kitchens project, the Walmart Foundation has committed $300,000 to helping CKP open up six new kitchens in the next two years. Local Walmarts have supported many kitchens through food banks in the past, but this national grant amplifies the company’s commitment to hunger relief. The first kitchen Walmart will help open: The University of Massachusetts, Boston at the end of January 2010.

5.  High School Volunteerism Program – In 2009, CKP dipped further into the fountain of youth with the creation of a program allowing high school students to work with their local university campus kitchens to deliver meals. Meanwhile, the students could log volunteer hours often needed to graduate. Two high schools in the Washington, D.C. area, one in New Orleans, and another in Boston have either shown interest or committed to the program.

Thanks again for a wonderful year. Can’t wait to see what the next one will bring!

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On why they serve:
Says Sarah Heim, VISTA and coordinator at CKUVM: I decided to become a VISTA in order to gain experience working in non-profit administration before beginning my studies in public service law. I became really passionate about public service work during my undergraduate studies and spent my first year out of college working for an international non-profit in Germany. I wanted to spend an additional year working with a domestic non-profit organization before continuing my studies in law school. I really enjoy working with young people, so spending a year as a Campus Compact VISTA seemed like a perfect fit.
Says Ashley Cupaiuolo, VISTA coordinator at CKJU: I have always had the feeling that I was going to help others. I took a huge interest in Psychology and thought that was how I was to help others. Well, I took a Sociology course and everything just felt right about this field. I took on a double major my Junior year, and I was still stuck between the two fields. I am a huge nerd in school, I love studying and I can recite anything I have learned, but as far as life experience I really didn’t have as much as I would like. I had always volunteered, but I still didn’t feel I had enough experience to go onto further studies. I will one day go to graduate school, but as for now AmeriCorps is exactly where I should be.

On young people serving:
Sarah: Many people our age tend to be idealistic go getters (myself included). I think that young people often become frustrated by many of the injustices they witness in their communities and feel a need to be a part of the solution.
Ashley: In the area I am located there seems to be a scarcity of people in this age group drawn to service. I think that there are always groups of people drawn to service no matter what age, and they are the ones that keep the light of humanity glowing.

On hunger:
Sarah: Hunger is one of the most pressing issues facing society today. People who are hungry have one main concern – getting enough food to survive. Children who don’t have access to the food and nutrients necessary to fuel their ever-developing bodies perform poorly in school, often have developmental issues and are at a distinct disadvantage from their peers. Adults who are hungry are more worried about finding their next meal than applying for a job or furthering their education. We cannot begin to tackle issues of education or unemployment without first
addressing the greater issue of hunger.
Ashley: Stopping hunger should be one of our main efforts in America. Especially the prevalence of the waste of leftover food from, for example businesses, schools, etc., when most of the time the neighboring community is hungry. If we can stop the excess waste of food, and filter it back out into the areas that are hungry, this will not only save money but lives. We have to start somewhere, and I believe stopping hunger helps instill not only nutrition, but hope into the lives that need it most.

On making a difference:
Sarah: It’s difficult to measure the difference one is making within any community. I believe that I am helping college students to develop an awareness of issues revolving around hunger and poverty and giving them the resources necessary to make a difference and impact change. I hope that they will continue to use their new knowledge and skills acquired through their involvement in Campus Kitchens and Community Service Programs after their time in college and continue to strive to make a difference in their communities.
Ashley: I see that I am making a difference, but do I feel I am? To be honest no, because I always want to do more. I feel I am the tool that is helping to make a difference, I helped to create a consistent opportunity for students to reach out to their community.

On service:
Ashley: I believe that we are all humans put on this earth together, we need to work together to make this our world. Service has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, I have an ingrained passion and feeling that I was born to help others. There are too many people out there who do not understand the importance of service, and we can only show them one by one just how important it is. If there is suffering in close vicinity to where one lives, then there is an obligation for the community to come together and bring that suffering down. From both ends, the helper and the helpee, there are always lessons to learn. Humans need human interaction, and going out of one’s comfort zone is the best way to fulfill that need. It does not matter one’s field of interest, helping another in need always sparks a light in the hearts of those who do reach out to their community.

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