While in Washington, DC a couple of weeks ago, my husband and I visited DC Central Kitchen. Listening to the Food Tank seminar several weeks earlier, I'd heard Mike Curtain explain DCCK and I wanted to learn more. Visiting the kitchen on Friday, February 6, we saw food recovery in action. Here is how it works: DCCK gathers food donations from local sources: farmers, wholesale grocers, anyone who has good food to share. They employ graduates of their Culinary Job Training program to guide the fleet of volunteers to prepare 5, 000 meals a day that are sent out to food pantries in the area.

DCCK also purchases food for to create Healthy School Food which is distributed to schools. We heard about how they supply fresh fruits and vegs to corner markets, as part of their Healthy Corners initiative and saw several the next day as we were walking. The key to making this work, incenting business owners of the corner markets with $250 credit to try out the program.

DCCK has so much figured out...I hope to add similar features to the programs I support here in St Louis.