Community Kitchen

The Community Kitchen began as a North Texas Food Bank pilot program in early 2000. The mission of the Kitchen is to offer nonprofit agencies nutritious, fully prepared frozen meals to heat and serve to the hungry while providing culinary job skills training to disadvantaged individuals with an interest in a food service career.

The program’s success depends upon partners who have eagerly contributed their resources. These partnerships include the First United Methodist Church of Dallas, the Texas Second Chance Program of the Dawson State Prison, the Texas Restaurant Association and the Culinary Arts program of El Centro College. In addition, American Express, the Meadows Foundation and Philip Morris have made significant financial contributions to the Community Kitchen program.

Construction of a new 3,000 square foot kitchen at the Food Bank was completed in February 2002. The Kitchen produces an average of 10,000 meals weekly in a variety of formats that are distributed through 59 Feeding Programs; including 14 Shelters, 5 Senior Sites, 2 Daycares, 1 Soup Kitchen, 15 Food Pantries and 22 Kids Cafes. Up to 30 students, primarily from the Texas Second Chance program in partnership with Dawson State Prison, receive food service training each year while helping to prepare the meals.

For more information, email our Chief Operating Officer Paul Wunderlich or call him 214.330.1396 ext. 104.

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