DC Central Kitchen

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DC Central Kitchen tackles food distribution in Washington, DC., where there is a significant lack of chain groceries. Many of the small grocers, which the neighbors depend, do not supply healthy options or take SNAP benefits. The areas identified have been studied by public health officials in Washington DC, based on the statistical realities of population, average income, grocery store per resident, SNAP benefits. The areas in the three wards are clearly identified as food deserts. The Healthy Corner developed by DC Central Kitchen supplied neighborhood groceries with additional refrigeration ability, subsidized wholesale healthy products, and training for grocery staff.

The data collection by DC Central Kitchen is a regular and vital part of their operations, "DC Central Kitchen produces a lot of data," DC Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin said, "The effort over the last couple years has been to bring that data together, use software systems and really create meaning out of that data. We needed to track it, we needed to monetize it, and we needed to put it in terms that people could understand."

DC Kitchen also provides vocational training, local jobs and food distribution network to food banks and soup kitchens. They are not simply a charity, they work on a social enterprise model. Not only do they supply directly to food based pantries, grocery stores, they made sure that their was training available to some of those that needed to be fed, so they could feed themselves. Additional Social Ventures include culinary training program, healthy food for school lunch programs, and the Campus Kitchen. 

DC Central Kitchen was a Poverty and Health beneficiary in Q3 2015.