Why do service?

We asked, and the volunteers that arrived at DC Central Kitchen to serve in honor of the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001 responded.

So did some of DC Central Kitchen’s employees who were actually in the kitchen preparing meals when the attacks began. All of those featured in the video below found themselves in different places, thinking about different consequences. Thinking back to the incident 10 years before, each also felt separately compelled to serve – and make 9000 meals with DC Central Kitchen – in remembrance.

In the end, most sentiments were echoed by one volunteer, who said, “Today, if nothing else, we remember how much we mean to each other. And how doing things like this can spread that and give others that sense of humanity and hopefulness we felt that day.”

Why do you serve with a Campus Kitchen or somewhere else? What do you hope to accomplish?

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With the release of the 2011 Civic Life in America: Key Findings on the Civic health of the Nation report (from the Corporation for National and Community Service), you don’t have to look too far to find a little hope that our nation is becoming increasingly engaged in making communities better.

The research demonstrates that between 2008 and 2010, the majority of Americans were civically active in three of five civic engagement categories: political action, connecting to information/current events, and social connectedness.

Some promising ways we’re thinking about more than just ourselves:

• Nine in ten American households are sitting down to dinner frequently
• More than half the nation is discussing politics at least several times a month
• One third of the nation is actively participating in groups and organizations
• 36% did favors for neighbors at least a few times a month
• 26.3% volunteers with an organization
• Americans who participate in one area of civic engagement, like volunteering, are more likely to get involved in other areas, like working with neighbors to solve community problems.

The report also highlighted the generational divides among those who are civically engaged. Namely, it shows the Baby Boomer generation ranks #1 or #2 among four generations across 17 of 19 civic engagement categories surveyed between 2008 and 2010.

While the “Millennials” generation, which includes most past and current Campus Kitchen volunteers, only ranked #1 in talking frequently via the Internet, we have reason to believe their rankings in other categories of civic engagement may change just by looking at the work college students put into improving their communities every day.

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President Obama, First Lady Michelle, and daughters Malia and Sasha helped prepare healthy gumbo and local corn on Saturday to go out to local social services agencies in Washington, D.C.

President Obama described DC Central Kitchen as “an incredible program,” highlighting the impact of the Culinary Job Training program. Read more about the visit and see pictures on the DC Central Kitchen website.

Service didn’t stop with the Presidential visit. On Sunday, dozens of volunteers filtered through DC Central Kitchen to chop, core, stir, and package 9,000 meals as part of remembering through service. Representatives from the U.S. Navy, Bloomberg, and the USDA and others attended the event.

What they made:

• 1000 lbs of potatoes
•  800 fruit cups and 800 salad cups for seniors
• 25 pans of chicken
• 70 lbs of pasta for senior meals this week
• 15 pans of corn medley
•  3 Lexan containers of bread for garlic bread
• 15 pans of melon
• 50 heads of Cabbage
• Baked muffins and cleaned up for the midnight shift.

Volunteers took time to reflect during meal breaks on what they were doing on September 11, 2001 and why they chose to do service as a way of remembering. View their hard work in the slideshow below.

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Campus Kitchen students take part in giving back weekly, but this Sunday, September 11 entire communities will perform service in response to the attacks on this country ten years ago.

Looking for a last minute way to do service in remembrance? Visit 911day.org.

The site invites you to  post a tribute,  support a cause, and volunteer. Go to the volunteer section of the site and browse through dozens of volunteer opportunities in your zip code.

DC Central Kitchen, CKP’s parent organization, will host volunteers from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the day of service. Read more about that event here.

Universities are also taking part. The Catholic University of America is signing up students to participate with 10,000 other volunteers around D.C. for a city-wide day of service. New York University posted opportunities for students at food banks, shelters, and schools around the city.

Is your university planning a days of service in 9/11 remembrance and are Campus Kitchen volunteers participating?

Leave your response in the comments section below.

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Michael Hodge/Flickr

CNN just upgraded the earthquake that rocked the East Coast of the United States to magnitude 5.9. But Campus Kitchens? Well they probably just kept on shaking and baking meals for their client agencies.

From the view of the CKP National Office it seems the quake only damaged a few Washington, D.C. landmarks. But the event does remind that natural disasters can strike at any moment – and Campus Kitchens, as a group committed to service, should be prepared to leap into action when recovery efforts are needed.

Earlier this year two of our Campus Kitchens, at Lee University and Augsburg College, undertook immediate and effective recovery efforts when disaster struck.

In April, Campus Kitchen leaders from Lee University sprung to action when a tornado touched down 1.5 miles from campus.  They worked long hours the days following the storms transporting food and supplies to the affected areas and set up their mobile canteen as a command center at the local Walmart. The Campus Kitchen at Lee University and members of the city’s Community Action Network continued to help for months following the disaster.

Just over a month later, the Campus Kitchen at Augsburg College helped mobilize volunteers to lead clean-up trips and spread 1000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in response to tornado touchdowns in North Minneapolis. Both kitchens led volunteer recruitment and updates of relief efforts on their social networks.

Countless other kitchens trudge through snowstorms to continue delivering meals when harsh winters set in.

How does your Campus Kitchen prepare for natural disasters? Do you have a plan to help serve?

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While the overall amount of U.S. volunteers dropped by less than a percentage point from 2009 to 2010, the proportion of volunteers who served more than 100 hours increased in 2010.

CNCS reports that 62.8 volunteers gave more than 8.1 billion hours of their time to improving their communities last year.

The Campus Kitchens Project, now with 31 locations nationwide, made a hefty contribution to the government’s tally of numbers.

In 2010, Campus Kitchens collectively gave 45,706 volunteer hours to recovering unused food and repurposing it into nutritious meals for community agencies. This service – in addition to other activities like gardening and nutrition workshops – was carried out by 5221 volunteers across the network.

CNCS presents more in depth numbers in its report, along with a breakdown by state. Take a look at how your state did on the interactive map.

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Leaders from the service sector, including CEO of DC Central Kitchen Mike Curtin and staff from The Campus Kitchens Project, will come together to share solutions, best practices and lessons for achieving greater impact at the 2011 National Conference on Volunteering and Service (NCVS) in New Orleans, June 6-8.

The conference, convened by Points of Light Institute and the Corporation for National and Community Service, is the world’s largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit, corporate and government sectors. This year’s event will provide nearly 4,000 Champions of Service with an opportunity to learn, connect and be inspired through a range of plenary sessions, workshops, special events, service projects and more.

“Service is fundamental to meeting the pressing issues of our time,” said Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light Institute. “The National Conference on Volunteering and Service seeks to equip those at the heart of community progress with the tools to mobilize people, design and manage effective programs and cultivate a renewed ethic of service that recognizes that everyone can, and must, be part of the solution.”

This year’s conference also showcases the city of New Orleans as a laboratory for social innovation in areas reaching far beyond disaster recovery. Since 2005, millions of volunteers have helped address the city’s educational challenges, economic development issues and government leadership. NCVS will provide an opportunity to pay tribute to the impact of volunteerism on the revitalization of the city, demonstrating the critical role of service in improving communities and our nation at large.

This remarkable city and the entire Gulf coast offer an extraordinary example of the power of citizens to make a difference through service, said Mark Gearan, chair, Corporation for National and Community Service Board of Directors. Gathering in New Orleans underscores the power of people to emerge from disaster and challenge by joining together in action. At a time of great social need, service is a critical, cost-effective investment that taps our greatest resource the energy and ideas of our citizens to get things done.

NCVS attendees will hear from renowned presenters during multiple workshop blocks. More than 150 workshops, 11 immersion learning sessions and seven forums will be offered in focus areas ranging from disaster response to youth leadership. Expert presenters from the nonprofit, corporate and government sectors will engage participants in hands-on sessions to explore topics relevant to volunteerism and service.

“New Orleans uniquely understands the value of volunteer service to create change and build community,” said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, chairman of the NCVS Host Committee. “We hope the attendees at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service are inspired and energized by our city and the innovative ideas and learning opportunities they will experience.”

Conference highlights include:
§         Signature Service Project, Monday, June 6, 8 a.m.
NCVS will serve as the final stop on University of Phoenix’s six-month Road to the Gulf program. The signature park restoration projects will be held at Sam Bonart Park in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Volunteers will install new playground equipment, repair basketball courts, install sideline benches, build soccer fields, install lighting and beautify the park.
§         Public Participation in the Wake of Disaster, Monday, June 6, 1 p.m.
Join us for a discussion framed by retired Admiral Thad Allen on the importance of public participation in the wake of disaster. Admiral Allen will discuss his experience as U.S. Coast Guard Commander during Hurricane Katrina and the 201 Gulf oil spill. He and Joshua DuBois, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and Karen Baker, California secretary of service and volunteering, will discuss the value of acting now to build resilient communities across the country.
§         National Service General Session, Tuesday, June 7, 10:30 a.m.
Service is central to innovative approaches for solving community and national problems. Melody Barnes, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour will share ideas and highlights of the ground-breaking work being done to address pressing issues by partnering with government, leveraging service and incorporating volunteering to achieve impact throughout the nation.
§         Citizen Solutions for Economic Opportunity, Tuesday, June 7, 2 p.m.
Fostering and advancing economic opportunities in under-resourced communities is a constant challenge. Some communities have found success drawing on existing resources and the power of volunteers. At this session, sponsored by Chase, Diahann Billings-Burford, chief service officer for New York City, David Eisner, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center and MSNBC contributor and The Grio.com chief correspondent Jeff Johnson will discuss practices of asset-based community development and case studies of successful community programs will be highlighted.
§         Leaders Make the Future: Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World, Tuesday, June 7, 3 p.m.
An interactive conversation, sponsored by UPS and eBay, with a cross-section of leaders about the skills needed to be successful in a world characterized by volatility, complexity and ambiguity. Panelists including Dr. Hal Colston, executive director of the Vermont Commission on National and Community Service, Wendy Kopp, founder and CEO of Teach for America, and Max Stier, president and CEO of Partnership for Public Service will discuss their predictions for the future, the leadership frameworks they work within and how those frameworks lead to lasting impact in communities.
§         Innovate to Educate: Community Solutions for Education Success, Tuesday, June 7, 4 p.m.
This signature conference event, sponsored by Target, will highlight innovative citizen-driven solutions that are helping address the challenges facing America’s education system. It will showcase inspiring examples of community-based engagement that have resulted in tangible results for schools and students nationwide. Attendees will hear from featured speaker Soledad O’Brien, award-winning journalist and anchor for CNN’s special investigations unit, as well as community leaders who are collectively leading the charge for innovative education solutions.

The NCVS opening plenary session on Monday, June 6, will feature civil rights activist Ruby Bridges, a conversation between political consultants James Carville and Mary Matalin, moderated by ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts, about the impact of service on their hometown of New Orleans, and special performances by Branford Marsalis and Roots of Music, a music program for New Orleans middle schoolers.

The closing session on Wednesday, June 8, features the presentation of a Presidential Volunteer Service award to actor and activist Rosario Dawson, performances by Grammy Award-winner Chris Thomas King and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Percy Sledge and the announcement of the 2012 NCVS host city, all hosted by comedian John Oliver from “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

For more information on NCVS, please visit www.VolunteeringandService.org

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Campus Kitchen Coordinator Brian Noy helped devise a plan Monday morning after the storms hit: Augsburg’s Sabo Center (the service office where the Campus Kitchen is housed) would lead two clean-up trips to North Minneapolis, a sandwich-making shift, and look for further opportunities to serve meals in evenings.

Abbie Steiner

Wednesday morning, Noy and his team led volunteers on campus through a production line, spreading and wrapping 1,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (with donations from New French Bakery) in under two hours. From there, the Campus Kitchen immediately shipped out sandwiches with volunteers heading to North Minneapolis as a cleanup crew.

Cleanup crews planned to work Wednesday, May 25, and Thursday, May 26, from noon to 4 p.m.

Sunday brought at least three tornado touchdowns to the metro area, injuring 30, killing one person, and knocking out power for thousands, leading to school closings and a curfew imposed on North Minneapolis. City officials plan to assess damage Thursday and Friday, but many without power are still seeking assistance. A Disaster Recovery Center at a local park counted 1,200 in line for help Wednesday.

Campus Kitchen volunteers showed up while people stood in that line Wednesday to distribute the 1,000 sandwiches. Today, the team plans to head to the Neighborhood Hub to serve lunch, and then go door to door, making sure residents have all they need.

The clip below from a local TV news station shows the Disaster Recovery Center where Augsburg College volunteers served. As relief efforts continue, the Campus Kitchen is looking for more ways to serve those affected by the damage. Stay up-to-date on relief efforts by liking the Campus Kitchen at Augsburg College on Facebook. Contact campuskitchen@augsburg.edu for more information on how to help.

This effort comes on the heels of another inspiring disaster relief effort in Tennessee, organized by volunteers at the Campus Kitchen at Lee University.

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Volunteers power DC Central Kitchen. 14,000 individuals volunteer with us every year, preparing meals, processing fresh produce, and serving breakfasts to clients on the street. But during AmeriCorps Week we want to recognize the individuals who go one step further and donate a whole year to support our mission to dismantle poverty and hunger in DC and across the nation.

Each year, AmeriCorps in particular offers more than 80,000 opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups. These individuals apply their skills and ideals toward helping others and meeting critical needs in the community.

Our 5 service year volunteers have contributed to the Kitchen in numerous ways.

Karli Hurlebaus, serving with the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, works as the Nutrition Outreach Coordinator. She works with our Healthy Returns agencies to provide nutrition education lessons and she does outreach for enrollment in summer meals and SNAP participation.

Stephen Kendall, serving with the HandsOn, works as the Food Donations Coordinator. He manages relationships with food industry partners and oversees the day-to-day procurement of donations for use in 4,800 daily meals.

Tamara Rushovich, serving with AVODAH and Mike Serzan, serving with Jesuit Volunteer Corps, are both part of DC Central Kitchen’s First Helping Street Outreach Team. They work with clients to access health care, insurance and other entitlements, employment, mental health support, addictions recovery, as well as affordable and supportive housing

Abbie Steiner, also serving with HandsOn, is the Community Development Coordinator for DC Central Kitchen’s national arm, The Campus Kitchens Project. She manages new site development, helps current programs expand their community impact and consults with gardening initiatives throughout the network.

In addition, the work of Campus Kitchens across the country is supported by numerous AmeriCorps volunteers.

AmeriCorps Week is an opportunity for AmeriCorps members, alums, grantees, program partners and friends to demonstrate impact on critical issues, bring more Americans into service, and thank the community partners who make AmeriCorps possible. The work of our service year volunteers has enabled DC Central Kitchen to reach more individuals, develop deeper connections, and further strengthen the communities that we serve.

If you are interested in long term service, check out opportunities at http://www.americorps.gov/

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For anyone graduating soon, what’s up next in your life has probably crossed your mind. If working with Campus Kitchens has inspired in you a love of community nutrition and the desire to work toward providing healthy food for everyone, you may want to apply to participate in FoodCorps.

This new national service program has been designed to provide limited-access high-obesity communities with individuals ready to tend school gardens, source fresher food for school cafeterias and provide nutrition education as part of the school day. This is all part of the plan to serve vulnerable children and improve access to healthy, affordable school meals, and also training leaders for careers in food and agriculture.

Host sites for the inaugural year of FoodCorps were announced in the end of 2010 and include the following:

Arkansas: The Delta Garden Study at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute

Arizona: The Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health

Iowa: The National Center for Appropriate Technology

Maine: University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Massachusetts: The Food Project

Michigan: CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University

Mississippi: The Mississippi Roadmap to Health Equity

New Mexico: University of New Mexico Office of Community Learning and Public Service

North Carolina: North Carolina 4-H and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems

Oregon: Oregon Department of Agriculture

The Corporation for National and Community Service is reviewing the proposal now, but the hope is that 80 motivated leaders will march into these communities in the fall.

If you are interested in applying or want to learn more, join the FoodCorps mailing list to receive more information.

FoodCorps is a program of the National Farm to School Network, developed in partnership with the National Center for Appropriate Technology, Slow Food USA, and the documentary and advocacy organization Wicked Delicate.

Read more about it in GOOD Magazines recent article.

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