Giving Kitchen, a James Beard Foundation Award-winning nonprofit organization that provided financial assistance and a network of community resources to food service workers in times of crisis, has released its Q3 Impact Report, underscoring the profound significance of its work in the food service community. Over the past decade, Giving Kitchen has achieved remarkable growth and continues to surpass milestones by awarding over $10 million dollars in financial assistance, serving its 15,000th financial assistance client, and 9,000th Stability Network client.
“This quarter’s impact report serves as a testament to our unwavering commitment and the bravery and resilient spirit of the food service workers we serve,” says Bryan Schroeder, Executive Director of Giving Kitchen. “We are proud to be able to share the remarkable growth and accomplishments we have made to show food service workers that they deserve dignity, opportunity, and stability.”
Giving Kitchen’s Q3 Impact Report Highlights Several Critical Achievements:
Giving Kitchen awarded $1,261,937 in financial assistance in Q3 across 470 awards, providing rent and utility assistance to food service workers spanning 30 different states.
Stability Network served 1,323 food service workers and was referred to more than 11 local agencies or programs in their area that can help provide community assistance.
Based on self-reported data, GK estimates that 299 of these clients, 312 of their children, and 131 of their additional household members avoided experiencing eviction and homelessness.
Supported 33 food service workers affected by the Hawaiian wildfires.
During September’s #SuicidePreventionMonth, 74 food service workers took the one-hour course to learn QPR, the CPR of suicide prevention, with over 800 food service workers completing their training since its launch in 2019.
In Q3, Giving Kitchen received 3,352 Asks for Help — the equivalent of one every 39 minutes. This is the first initial step in asking for help from Giving Kitchen, and since inception 14% of these asks have been in Q3, highlighting Giving Kitchen’s urgency to support food service workers in times of crisis.
“While my husband was recovering from a heart attack, I had to take time from work to care for him,” said Sherrell J., School Cafeteria Worker, and Giving Kitchen Client. “This assistance has put us at ease, knowing that we will be able to remain in our home. If we had not received the assistance, we would have been in desperate need of a place to live.”
All October long, Giving Kitchen is raising critical funds for food service workers like Sherrell by Dining With Gratitude. Throughout the entire month of October, Giving Kitchen invites guests to show their gratitude to the food service industry by dining at participating Dining With Gratitude restaurants, or by making a direct donation to Giving Kitchen in honor of a food service worker. Make your plan to dine out and donate by viewing the full list of participating restaurants on Giving Kitchen’s website. Each restaurant is pledging to raise at least $1,000 and committed to educating their staff about how Giving Kitchen can help their team members during an unexpected crisis. “Giving Kitchen is a vital lifeline for thousands in our industry who ask for help,” says Schroeder. “The support of restaurants and our community will help us reach more food service workers who experience a crisis.”
