Website: https://www.theiowakitchen.org/
Mission: The Iowa Kitchen centers on education and food distribution. The educational component (coming in 2022) will be geared toward young adults, high school to college-age, getting ready to make their way in the world. It will teach them how to cook for themselves and others, nutritiously and on a budget. The community meal distribution began in February 2021 and has continued every week since. The number of meals served each week have ranged from as few as four to as many as 70, with all leftover food donated to MICA or frozen and served during the following week.
Location: Grinnell (0.5 miles from Grinnell College)
Needs: The Iowa Kitchen offers a service-learning opportunity for two volunteers per month to be mentored by a trained chef, while also serving the community by helping to prepare and serve meals every Saturday of that month. This is a one-month commitment, about 6-8 hours per week, includes all necessary training, and culminates in the volunteers designing and cooking their own menu for distribution on their last Saturday. This program is designed specifically for college students who want to learn how to use good nutritional practices to feed themselves and others on a budget.
Volunteers: one-month commitment
When is service needed: year-round, for volunteer commitments in the length of one month, on a rotating basis
Number of hours: 6-8 hrs/week for one month
Modality: in-person only
Background check required: no
Equipment/logistics needed: None needed, only an interest in cooking and serving
Training supplied: All necessary training supplied by trained chef, including basic sanitation, kitchen skills, how to design a recipe, and budgeting, culminating in creating and cooking own menu
Equipment or logistics supplied: Access to commercial-grade, licensed kitchen and all equipment
How to apply: Email phoenix3@netins.net or call 641-236-3657
Contact: Kamal Hammouda and Laura Fendt, (641) 236-3657, phoenix3@netins.net
Operation information: The Iowa Kitchen had been providing meals for several months before being established as an Iowa company in April 2021 and receiving its 501(c)(3) non-profit designation in October 2021, which was then back-dated for IRS purposes to April of 2021. Through August of 2022, the cost of the meals has been borne by Relish, the restaurant that hosts The Iowa Kitchen, but having retired from running Relish as a full-service restaurant, we need to raise funds to sustain the program. We have no paid employees.
Address: 834 Park St, Grinnell, IA 50112, Grinnell
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