OUR MISSION

DC Central Kitchen’s mission is to use food as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds, and build communities.

OUR MODEL

DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed. DCCK’s social ventures include serving scratch-cooked farm-to-school meals in DC schools, delivering fresh, affordable produce to corner stores in neighborhoods without supermarkets, and operating a fast-casual cafe.

OUR VALUES

We believe that hunger is a symptom of the deeper problem of poverty, and that food is our chosen tool for changing individual lives while addressing systemic failures.

We believe in the transformative power of a job, and that everyone deserves the chance to share in the dignity of work while contributing to our community.

We believe in building a more equitable food system that ensures access to healthy, dignified food and economic opportunity for all.

We believe that waste is wrong, be it the waste of nutritious food, productive minds, or charitable dollars spent on unsustainable, redundant, and ineffective efforts.