Spring 2004

Campus Kitchens keep the meals coming, serving more than 10,000 in less than a year

By Judy Moore

Student and Evanston community volunteers involved with The Campus Kitchens Project (CKP) at Northwestern University — a campus-based program devoted to fighting hunger — have prepared, served and delivered more than 10,000 meals to nearly 300 clients since it was launched on the Evanston campus last June.

Northwestern junior Linda Zhang works in the kitchen, serving meals.

Last summer, Campus Kitchen prepared and delivered an average of 600 meals per month. By fall, after a Sunday shift was added, that number increased to nearly 2,000 meals per month. This winter, they maintained that 2,000 mark.

CKP’s Evanston clients include Family Focus, with 135 meals twice-a-week; the YWCA’s Battered Women’s Shelter; Boys Hope/Girls Hope, a long-term nurturing home environment for teen-agers; and Housing Options for the Mentally Ill.

The project is also serving senior citizens, individuals with illnesses and miscellaneous clients who have been referred to the Campus Kitchen by various agencies.

The program is a team effort that provides Northwestern students, faculty and staff as well as community volunteers with the chance to learn how to prepare meals for the needy and share companionship with community members.

Campus Kitchen meals are prepared in Allison Hall on campus and delivered in a van donated by Sodexho, North-western’s food service provider, and vehicles belonging to, and driven by, volunteers.

“We are growing as an organization with student participation. Our five-member leadership team currently includes one senior, one junior, one sophomore and two freshmen,” said Scott Parrish, supervisor of the Campus Kitchen at Northwestern.

“Our goal is to create nutritious menus that provide sources of protein, carbohydrates and starches. We don’t count calories, but we do lay low on the sugars and make healthier low-fat substitutions, such as serving fruit instead of cake for dessert.”

One day’s recent menu featured broiled chicken breast, peas, mashed potatoes with gravy, and a fresh honey tangerine served in a tri-sectioned recyclable container.

Because providing community outreach and leadership opportunities to students involved with the project are two important goals of the program, Campus Kitchen volunteers have helped more than 10 senior citizens to pack and move to new housing.

“This summer we are having a “Summer Food for Kids Program” which will provide meals for existing local youth programs such as summer camps, day camps and sports camps,” said Parrish.

As part of that summer program, volunteers at the Campus Kitchen at Northwestern also will provide nutrition education for the youngsters.

To educate youth about good food and nutrition, CKP volunteers will offer a four-week healthy cooking curriculum for teenagers involved in local summer programs that will be held at Northwestern.

Teen-age students will be taught how to prepare meals that they normally prepare in a healthier fashion and will be introduced to healthy recipes.

Students and other volunteers will continue to distribute food to community groups with an emphasis on senior programs and after-school programs for children in Evanston.

They also added holiday programming and special events such as “Turkey Palooza,” the preparation of a special Thanksgiving meal for clients that included handmade greeting cards created by volunteers.

Another special holiday meal prepared and served two days before Christmas of last year included turkey, honey- and clove-glazed ham, garlic mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables and apple pie.

The program continues to thrive with the help of a three-year grant from the Sodexho Foundation and a partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Student volunteers run 90 percent of the project at Northwestern University, and the five other universities with whom CKP has partnerships.

The Campus Kitchens Project’s mission is to use food as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds and build communities.

Nationally, CKP volunteers have served more than 100,000 meals to agencies, families and individuals.

Recently, university students and volunteers involved with The Campus Kitchens Project in six cities celebrated the “100,000 meal milestone” by participating in CKP’s “100K Photo Challenge.”

To volunteer for The Campus Kitchen at Northwestern program, phone Scott Parrish at (847) 491-6925 or contact him by e-mail at sparrish@campuskitchens.org.