This year, the Campus Kitchens Project’s Annual Conference will bore right to the heart of hunger, visiting its Baylor University site to partner with the annual BU Poverty Summit with three days of networking, entertainment, and academic thought.

Representatives of 25 Campus Kitchens, poverty scholars, and others from the Baylor community will converge in Baylor University’s Bill Daniel Center on the Waco, Texas campus to participate in sessions both poverty and CKP-themed, with a keynote address delivered by CKP/DCCK founder Robert Egger.

The conference runs from noon on Friday, October 8 to 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 10. A tentative schedule is included below.

To help round out the presentations, The Baylor University Poverty Summit and The Campus Kitchens Project have issued a Request for Proposal, calling for 75-minute presentations that address one of the following: community-building and development, engaging students in higher education to address poverty, international poverty alleviation, or hunger, poverty, and economics.

Online Applications for the call for presentations are due no later than August 13.

Ready to sign up for the conference? Go here.

Schedule:

Friday, October 8
12:00PM Boxed Lunch, Welcome (Barfield)
1:00PM CKP Breakout 1 (SUB)
2:00PM CKP Breakout 2 (SUB)
3:00PM CKP Breakout 3 (SUB)
4:00PM CKP Breakout 4 (SUB)
5:00PM CKP Breakout 5 (SUB)

7:00PM Desert Reception, Keynote Speaker: Robert Eggers (Cashion 5th)
8:00PM Exhibition Opens (Cashion 5th)

Saturday, October 9
9:00AM Keynote Speaker (Cashion 5th)
10:00AM Breakout Session 1
11:00AM Breakout Session 2
12:00PM Boxed lunch and Panel Discussion (Cashion 5th)
1:30PM Breakout Session 3
3:00PM Off-Campus Service

6:00PM Hunger Banquet (Barfield)
8:30PM Documentary on Fountain Mall

Sunday, October 10
9:30AM Closing Speaker (Cashion 5th)
11:00AM CUB or Leave

Mark your calendars now for this year's Campus Kitchens Project Conference

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Did you miss the live chat hosted at The Kitchen Table, CKP’s soical network? We’ve got the transcript for you here.

Have you joined the network yet? Make sure you don’t miss chats like these by signing up.

The Kitchen Table Chat: Making Meal Service into a Career of Service

Led by: Robert Egger May 14, 2 p.m. EST *M =Moderator *RE = Robert Egger

Transcript

• M: Welcome to the first ever Kitchen Table Chat: Making Meal Service into a Career of Service… we will begin momentarily.
• M: Ok… let’s get started and others can join in. The transcript of the chat will be posted here after. I believe you’re all familiar with Robert Egger, founder of D.C. Central Kitchen, the Campus Kitchens Project, and the V3 Campaign.
• RE: he’s cool
• M: Robert will be leading today’s chat. Many graduating seniors from CKP couldn’t be on the chat this afternoon, but submitted questions in advance.
• RE: bring em ON
• RE: Hey Andy–pretty cool about the election down in Williamsburg. Congrats to the students for getting one of their own elected
• M: What’s your post-college advice for a Campus Kitchen student who does not have much intern/work experience beyond the Campus Kitchen?
• RE: OK…first of all, recognize that, thru Campus kitchens, you all learned community organizing, nutrition education, senior and homeless issues. FAR from being “interns” you all have major street cred.
• Lauren: Hey Robert and Jasmine – congrats on setting this up!
• M: Thanks Lauren – it’s a good test run
• M: During a recent conversation about the state of our country with all of its problems, I found myself doubting that I alone can make the needed changes our world so desperately needs. Do you ever feel like this and if so, how do you move forward?
• RE: ALL the time…but I never stop trying–never. I’m 110% psyched to be giving the commencement address @ GBurg this Sunday, and that’s a HUGE part of my talk–we MUST grab ahold of that can-do, why not spirit that helped build this country–and CKP
• M: Along the same lines… As a college student, I have so many passions that don’t seem to connect yet… Do you have any advice as to how I can merge my love of the creative with my desire to make a difference?
• RE: Back to that last thought…the cool thing about life is the cumulative effect of all those passions. Its not easy finding the common thread–just keep thinking, connecting, imagining things and sometimes, connections come/or are revealed.
• Chelsea: Will you post your speech @ Gburg here after it’s over, Robert?
• RE: I don’t write speeches down (although I just may for this one)…but CSpan is filming it, so it’ll be available later in May
• M: YouTube channel all the way
• Chelsea: You don’t write them down?!
• Lauren: Did you used to write them down when you were just starting out?
• RE: No…I speak from the heart. I plan, think, study and consider before I open my yap…but after that, it’s just me and the microphone
• Chelsea: Wow – that’s a pretty impressive talent
• RE: I did…once, but I hated the bobbing head thing–looking up then down, up then down. Plus…I study life, and notcied how audiences shut down when folks read from a paper. They tend to watch when they think you’re speaking from the heart.
• Chelsea: That’s good advice
• Chelsea: How does one study life?
• RE: It’s not so much a talent as a learned thing. I work hard at making it look easy. ALSO–people LOVE passion. They want to listen to somebody who really, obviously cares/believes what they are saying
• RE: Study life. I walk, I listen and look. I’ve said before–unplug the Ipod and dance to the music of community. You’ll NEVER change a town unless you KNOW the town. I always have my eyes, ears, heart open
• RE: Back to the speaking convo–I’m amazed how, if you go with an open mind and you snoop, you find amazing angles that allow you to let an audience know that you understand them. It might be local news, or a famous citizen, etc…but it shows you care
• RE: I was just in TX, and commented on how much we owen Lady Bird Johnson for planting flowers along America’s roadways. THAT statement alone won them over M: Next question: What graduate programs do you recommend for people interested in making social change through working in the nonprofit sector?
• RE: I spoke up at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. That’s a GREAT school and a very cool doorway career. it’s seniors, nutrition, schools, food, social e. I hadn’t thought about it b4
• RE: DON’T get an MBA…that’s just my opinion, but the culture of the business schools is really d-u-m
• Chelsea: What about law?
• RE: There’s a butt load of lawyers out there now. Funny…in the paper today was an article that said “drop out”. I really dig learning, but I’m not sure about what’s being taught right now
• RE: I think (honestly) too many folks go back to school because the real world seems sucky. School is safe. I think we need folks to jump in and push the envelope of real life…NOW
• RE: although I could easily benefit from a typing class
• M: Here’s a fun one: I desperately need to know what Oprah is like and if you’ll ever take me to see her!
• Emily: I want to know about being on Oprah too!
• RE: She’s hot. Loves shoes. Is actually very nice and I surrounded by smart, good people. It’s you and me next time I’m on her show
• Chelsea: YOU BETTER BELIEVE THAT ROBERT
• Chelsea: On the ground level, how do we get locations to take us on as partners?
• Chelsea: When is enough … enough?
• Chelsea: Before I appear pushy?
• RE: As Conan O’Brien said when he signed off..”show up on time, work hard and be nice”. Being nice goes a long way to mitigate pushy.
• RE: But pushy people move the dime!!!
• RE: Now that I think about it…Oprah and Jordan have a lot in common
• Chelsea: WHAT?!
• RE: Honey versus vinegar, C
• Chelsea: Right
• Jordan: haha…i must say
• Jordan: i aspire to be like oprah Chelsea: jordan do you have a secret love of shoes?
• Ariel: no just the other people in the office
• M: Why do you have so much faith in our generation to lead social enterprise initiatives?
• Robert: Fair trade coffee, Tom’s Shoes, local food in schools, good wages for university employees, CAMPUS KITCHENS–you all are out front on this issue–own it
• RE: Besides…you all can’t afford my gen’s charity. You philanthopy MUST be how you spend your money or how you make it–not how much you give at the end of the year
• Chelsea: Do you know Tom?
• RE: No…not yet
• M: How can I use my Leadership Team status in the “real” world? How I do I translate what we do to a resume?
• RE: most employers want a team player, a motivator, a decision maker, a leader…and a friend of Jordan. Each of you is each of those.
• RE: serious…like making meals, you’ve just got to learn to squeeeeze every ounce of love out of what you’ve each been part of-helped create–driven. You are each bad ass leaders
• Jordan: robert, you make a lot of speeches, but you’ve been able to back up what you’ve done with real life output that you generated and you are ultimately solely repsonsible for. How does that feel? And how do we some day get to that point?
• RE: you know…that’s what I’ve tried so hard to NOT be the super visible “leader” of DCCK. Sure…people see me, but I’ve worked hard to give all of you some action you can own.
• Jordan: but that’s what so great about what you’ve done, not only have you created change for you but you’ve made change for others 2
• M: alright let’s wrap things up – and do this again soon! Any final questions u r dying to ask?
• Jordan: i guess if i could squeeze one question in, how do i get from the point i’m at now, to the point that you’re at
• Chelsea: Me too me too
• Emily: Me too!!!
• RE: wake up EVERY day ready to rock, roar, kick ass, listen, laugh, observe, think, build, slay, fight, forgive….then do it again
• Lauren: AMEN!
• RE: really…I was talking to somebody who was amazed that I’ve given 14 gallons of blood. But its a culmination of LOTS of small efforts. Think of life that way
• Chelsea: Where does your energy come from?!
• RE: drugs
• Chelsea: HAHAHA
• RE: KIDDING
• RE: I get my energy from the force…I am the apprenctice of Obi Jordan Kenobi
• Chelsea: Aren’t we all?
• RE: I’m actually half serious (about the force). I just love life and try to see the wonder of every breath, every thought, every heartbeat. DUDES…this shit ends one day. i want to live till i die
• Jordan: i am honored for you to even consider me in that way at all robert! thanks.
• M: wow. Ok, on that note we will conclude the chat. This transcript will be posted On the Menu later today. Please share with your LTs. And send me any feedback on the chat directly. I’m happy to hear it.

Like this Chat?

Be sure to tune in for the next one – details coming soon!

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Egger now calls himself "Doc"

Yes, it’s true. D.C. Central Kitchen and Campus Kitchen’s very own Robert Egger gave the Gettysburg Address this past weekend — the Class of 2010 Gettysburg College commencement address, that is.

D.C. Central Kitchen staff were not present to film the speech, but luckily one proud audience member/YouTube user captured almost every word on camera (with a Droid ringtone and occasional finger to keep things interesting), so we’re sharing it with Campus Kitchens (and everyone) below.

But first, some Robert Egger talking points (he did actually mention all of these):

Double Dutch
Braiding hair
Facebook
Jon Stewart (Kiss my diploma)
Conan O’Brien
Tom’s Shoes
Polka Dots and Moon Beams
Old = 60
Chris Fee (Professor at Gettysburg College)

Professor Chris Fee planted the seed to get the Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College

And Egger’s (almost) final quote: “Drink up like you would a $2 Friday night special down at Pitchers. Lift up your crunk cups (and that’s crunk) and guzzle every last drop down and roar out of this school like Billy Bullet was at your back and light this country up!”

How’s that for motivation? Watch more below.

Part 1

Part 2

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Nutrition Educator, D.C. Central Kitchen, Washington, D.C.

Department: Partner Relations
Supervisor: Manager of Partner Relations
Hourly/Salary: Salary

General Description:
DC Central Kitchen provides meals to youth and adult clients at about 100 social-service agencies. The nutrition educator will promote healthy eating by teaching classes and providing other resources to DCCK cooks, clients and staff members at partner agencies, and students in the Kitchen’s Culinary Job Training class.

The nutrition educator will work closely with other DCCK staff members to develop and implement recommendations to improve the nutritional value of the 4,500 meals that the Kitchen distributes each day to clients in the DC Metro Area. She also will serve as a resource to staff members in other departments by working on select projects throughout the year that are aimed at increasing the nutritional quality of food and educating staff, clients and community partners on the critical importance of a nutritious diet.

DC Central Kitchen makes nutrition a high priority, and is prepared to strengthen its commitment even more so. In recent years, the Kitchen has made big steps to cook with more nutritious ingredients (for instance, we are an industry leader in sourcing and serving fresh and local produce) and to provide its clients with more resources to make healthy choices (we have a library of nutrition lessons on file and teach more than 100 lessons each year). The nutrition educator will play a key role in strengthening and expanding already-existing programs and developing new ones.

Specific Responsibilities:
Assist DCCK to continually improve the nutritional quality of meals
• Provide ongoing training to DCCK staff on nutrition principles and specific ways to improve nutritional quality of meals prepared.
• Provide suggestions for improvement to Kitchen and Procurement Departments, and conduct periodic audits of DCCK menus.
• Work with Procurement Department to research new ingredients and do cost-benefit analyses with the goal of providing more varied and nutritious meals and snacks for our clients.
• Help staff members navigate requirements of government reimbursement programs through which DCCK gets funding for the meals it provides to after-school programs, and brainstorm cost-effective and creative ways to adhere to these guidelines.
• Assist DCCK’s Fresh Start Catering and contract-meal divisions in making menu choices that are nutritious, promote health and are cost-effective.
• Assist Fresh Start Catering in submitting RFPs for new meal contracts by providing information on nutritional content of proposed menu items related to dietary guidelines.

Provide nutrition education and resources to DCCK staff and CJT students
• Design and implement ways to educate and inform DCCK staff about nutritional news and information (e.g. staff workshops; posters; etc.).
• Teach weekly nutrition classes to DCCK’s Culinary Job Training students.
• Hold “office hours” to provide nutritional guidance to interested CJT students and staff.

Provide nutrition education and resources to clients and staff at DCCK partner agencies
• Teach classes on nutrition, cooking and shopping on a budget for youth and adult clients at DCCK meal-partner agencies.
• Improve DCCK’s nutrition curriculum by developing new lessons and strengthening current ones.
• Keep up-to-date on nutrition news, and develop new hand-outs and educational resources for clients and staff.
• Host twice-yearly “train the trainer” workshops where agency staff members learn best approaches for teaching clients important principles of nutrition.
• Hold one-on-one training sessions for staff members at meal-partner agencies.
• Work with Agency Relations Coordinator to provide information and resources regarding the nutritional quality of DCCK meals to staff and clients at partner agencies.
• Strengthen and teach DCCK’s “Crock-Pot Workshops,” where clients learn how to shop on a budget and develop recipes for slow-cookers.
• Record data on number of classes and students taught, conduct client evaluations and complete reports on these statistics.
• Work with agency coordinators to schedule lessons.
Additional duties
• Work on projects to provide periodic nutrition-related assistance to other DCCK departments as directed by Partner Relations Manager.
• Attend Partner Relations Department meetings.
• Supervise one to two interns periodically throughout the year.
Qualifications Needed:
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in nutrition, nutrition education or related field required. Certification as registered dietician strongly preferred.
• Experience teaching classes and leading workshops.
• Ability to communicate and clearly articulate nutrition principles to a broad spectrum of age groups, educational levels, economic backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong listening skills and ability to incorporate needs and questions raised into teaching curriculum.
• Flexibility, team-work skills and the ability to keep a positive attitude while working in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to do high quality work and meet deadlines while juggling multiple assignments.
• Desire to work with low-income populations.
• Strong research and writing skills.
• Project management skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Desire to be part of a large non-profit organization that “combats hunger and creates opportunity.”

To Apply:
Please email resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to hr@dccentralkitchen.org.
Cover letter must address the following questions: why are you interested in this position at DC Central Kitchen, and how do you think your experience will be beneficial to our organization and mission? Applicants who do not send all of the requirements will not be considered.

At D.C. Central Kitchen, nutrition education comes full circle

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee all aspects of program operations for the Elon Campus Kitchen including volunteer recruitment and training, food recycling and purchasing, meal and menu planning, creating and maintaining community contacts, meal distribution, publicity, fundraising, reporting, and overall program management.
• Work with campus staff to facilitate the program in cooperation with other campus programs, such as academic service learning and co-curricular service programs.
• Recruit, advise and strengthen Campus Kitchen student leadership team.
• Provide feedback to campus staff and faculty through management of Campus Kitchen Advisory Board and maintenance of campus partnerships.
• Facilitate food acquisition and community partnerships for meal delivery and programming.
• Meet with partner agencies, as needed, to assess their needs and assure quality of service.
• Manage program budget, record all expenses and complete budget reports.
• Facilitate empowerment programming for community members such as the Culinary Job Training for unemployed and underemployed adults, nutrition education for children, and gleaning programs with farmers.
• Coordinate grant writing for local organizations and organize fundraising efforts.
• Maintain detailed record-keeping for safety and sanitation procedures and effectively report and communicate with CKP’s national office.
• Initiate communication with existing or developing Campus Kitchens to facilitate idea sharing and network growth.
• Other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide supervision, training and problem solving assistance to student leadership team and volunteers.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate experience required.
• Creativity, volunteer management skills, and ability to relate well with students, staff, faculty and community partners.
• Previous experience with community service programs, preferably on a college campus.
• Prior experience with a Campus Kitchen and/or culinary skills a plus.
• Due to the responsibilities of the job, a valid driver’s license with a driving record insurable by the university is necessary.

REMUNERATION

*Competitiv salary
*Vacation, sick leave, holidays and paid professional leave
*Excellent health, retirement and life insurance benefits
*Free tickets to athletic and cultural events

PROCESS

Application review begins immediately; position starts July 1. Send letter of application, resume, and names/phone numbers of three references to Office of Human Resources, 2070 Campus Box, Elon, NC 27244. For additional information please contact Mary Leigh Frier, mfrier@elon.edu or visit www.elon.edu/service and www.campuskitchens.org.

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The man who strives to empower voices in a new generation of service-oriented, “dot orgs”, also conceived and created The Campus Kitchens Project,  modeling the national program after D.C. Central Kitchen, a non-profit he initially founded in 1989.

Egger’s vision has led to the creation of 26 Campus Kitchens today, with even more prepping to open their doors in the coming year. At each kitchen, sometimes hundreds of students volunteer, and most come away with something:  from leadership skills to a new found appreciation for cooking, or a moment shared with someone during meal delivery. Many of these students are not quite sure how to extend this give-and-take beyond the walls of the Campus Kitchen.

That’s where Robert Egger’s live chat at the Campus Kitchen’s Project’s The Kitchen Table comes in. He’ll take to the keyboard Friday, May 14 to chat candidly with Campus Kitchen students, their community partners, and anyone else who’d like to join, about how to propel a life of service into a sustainable career, how he got where he is today, and social enterprise. The chat comes as a timely prologue to the commencement address Robert Egger will give to Gettysburg College on Sunday, May 16. The Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College recently held a campus-wide celebration for hitting the milestone of 10,000 meals served.

Please submit questions for the chat in advance to jtouton@campuskitchens.org by 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 13

Robert Egger will host a live chat on CKP's own social network.

Robert Egger – The Campus Kitchens Project live Chat

Making Meal Service into a Career of Service

When: Friday, May 14 at 2  – 2:30 p.m. EST

Where: The direct link to the chat is here. You must sign up for The Kitchen Table to participate in the chat. Please sign up for The Kitchen Table at least 24 hours in advance to allow for approval.

What: Robert Egger will lead a live, typed chat that talks with students and community partners about what they can create and take with them beyond meal service. How do you propel a college career of service into a lasting career? How is this sustainable? What makes Campus Kitchen volunteers particularly viable in the current economy? How can you be a dot com and a dot org at the same time? How should you best leverage your Campus Kitchen experience in your job search? What brought Robert Egger to where he is today? Egger will answer these questions, and more.

Also: Please submit questions by 5 p.m., Thursday, May 13, for the live chat. Participants are encouraged to ask follow up questions during the live chat session, which is hosted at The Kitchen Table.

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 The conference got underway Friday morning and, might I say, was a huge success. The whole weekend was catered by the amazing Fresh Start catering program through DC Central Kitchen. At the conference, students got to hear from many guest speakers and gained valuble tips and insights from them, as well as from fellow attendees. Topics at the conference included: fundraising, local food, nutrition, grant writing, community relationships, social media, leadership, and nonprofit professionalism. The conference came to a close on Saturday evening at a delicious local restaurant, Busboys and Poets. DCCK/CKP founder, Robert Egger, gave the closing speech and left the students and staff with a renewed sense of purpose.

The CKP staff would like to thank everyone who attended the conference as well as our awesome speakers and the generous donors and sponsors who made it all possible! Another successful conference as we enter into ‘Our New Millennium’…

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Eating Liberally provides us with the story of a town in Australia has called for a ban on the sale of bottled water.

Our friends over at Civil Eats chronicle their adventures in roof-top gardening.

La Vida Locavore is excited about Jay Inslee’s new House bill to raise funds and awareness for community gardens.  It’s complete with a list of co-sponsors – Thank you John Conyers (D-MI14).

Beware of Starbuck’s opening up local coffee shops!

If Obama can eat at Ray’s Hell Burger, why can’t he get a “Fat Darrell” from the local Grease Carts at Rutgers?

Check out what DCCK President Robert Egger has to say about the news of a Social Investment Bank coming from our neighbors across the pond. 

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A city in

Our friends over at Beyond Bread have started a new “Glean for the City” initiative.  They estimate that each volunteer group can glean enough food to feed 1750 people.

Michelle Obama and her girls were in Rome this past week.  It just so happens that they stopped at the most famous gelato shop in the city.

Fellow DCCK intern Turner Shaw continues his homelessness oral history project with “Joe Homeless”

President of DCCK, Robert Egger, recorded a podcast detailing the massive state budget shortfalls across the country.

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Last Thursday Robert Egger held a meeting of the V3 Campaign. I was lucky enough to have a seat at the U-shaped table in the confined space that is the DCCK lunch room. Leaders from the local non-profit sector convened to discuss how to make the non-profit sector flex its political muscle.

This conversation began when Robert was talking to an Obama staffer about what non-profits can do to get their voice heard in the federal government. The staffer replied that it won’t happen until the sector unites and represents votes and money. Hence, the V3 Campaign was born.

One of the reoccurring themes of the meeting was that the Obama campaign did such a great job mobilizing volunteers, but after the election all that momentum faded away. Another key point was how his campaign spoke to individuals and encouraged individual action. The members around the table brainstormed how the non-profit sector could achieve a similar result, and how it would overcome the challenges that it regularly faces.

Then the meeting got interesting when the focus shifted towards what can be done in the Virginia Governor’s race this fall. The consensus was to hold a candidate forum with non-profit leaders. But the only way the candidates would make an appearance would be if there were enough eligible voters in the room. One of the leaders from a non-profit association in Northern Virginia spoke from experience about how hard it was in the past to get the non-profit leaders in the same room, much less the candidates. Robert had the ingenious idea of holding a digital forum where instead of going through the trouble of trying to get the candidates to come to us, where we will go out and seek out the candidates when they have a couple extra minutes to record an interview.

It’s amazing how much technology has changed even in the last five years as it pertains to elections. The V3 Campaign is on the verge of something great for the non-profit sector. I recommend everyone check them out at http://twitter.com/v3campaign and http://www.thesmokingpoet.net/id1.html

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Gleaning bears fruit for food banks, poor families: Getting fresh produce into the mouths of hungry folks is just one of many reasons that gleaning from local farms is a brilliant idea for food banks (and Campus Kitchens!). This piece also touches on the value of connecting consumers to producers and mentions the Society of St. Andrew Gleaning Network, a partner of the Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College. We’ve already posted about DCCK’s gleaning program, and the Campus Kitchens at both Gettysburg College and the University of Vermont have already been out in the fields to feed their communities.

Could WIC Promote Healthy Corner Stores?: Over at the Poverty and Policy blog, there’s been talk about the Healthy Corner Store Program, one of the many exciting programs working to connect low-income people with nutritious, sustainable food.  (Thanks to DCCK’s amazing nutrition educator Dahlia Rockowitz for tipping us off.)

Anything Short of a Felony: We got a big ‘ol helping of love on DCCK founder and president Robert Egger’s blog this week. He writes that the point of CKP is

to demonstrate what a new generation of leaders can create if you gave them solid training and then turn over the keys to the car. 

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