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Tech Wins $5K Grant for Campus Kitchen Project

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Thousands of meals are served in Georgia Tech dining halls almost every day, but as with any good gathering, there are always leftovers. Now, the opening of a Campus Kitchen will give Georgia Tech a new way to spread its motto of “progress and service” by preparing and distributing that food to places in need in the community.

“This is food that’s perfectly safe to eat but that, because of certain Sodexo guidelines, we would not be able to serve in the dining halls again,” said Grant Grimes, student promotions coordinator for Dining Services. 

This week, Georgia Tech was one of five universities to win a $5,000 grant from the Campus Kitchens Project, which will help bring the kitchen to Brittain Dining Hall. 

Dining Services staff will work closely with students in the kitchen as it gets up and running, but eventually, the kitchen will be run entirely by a partnering student organization.

Campus Kitchen is partnering initially with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to distribute meals to those in need, with plans to add local shelters and other organizations to that list.

"This problem is an opportunity to engage with our struggling neighbors and our homeless, to connect Georgia Tech volunteers, food, shelters, and folks in need across our city, and to pursue supplementary service projects within this umbrella project as we focus on the complex issue of hunger and poverty," said Sophia Rashid, a student leader with the project. Eventually Dining would like to come up with a way to also serve meals to Tech students who may be in need.

A portion of the Brittain kitchen will be devoted to Campus Kitchen activities, with supplies clearly separated and marked from regular dining supplies, but there will be no alterations to Brittain’s service hours or procedures for students. Once setup is complete, Campus Kitchens will conduct a site visit to ensure the kitchen is ready to prepare and distribute meals. Grimes anticipates that happening sometime in March.

Dining will sponsor a handful of students annually to complete ServSafe food handling certification to ensure that all food is properly stored, handled, and prepared. At least two workers per shift will be certified.

The Campus Kitchens Project is a national organization with partnerships at 34 high schools, colleges, and universities, including the University of Georgia. It began in 2001 at Saint Louis University with the help of a grant from the Sodexo Foundation.

Dining Services and the Honors Program are both sponsors of the Campus Kitchen, but participation is open to all students.

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  • Workflow Status:Published
  • Created By:Kristen Bailey
  • Created:01/30/2014
  • Modified By:Fletcher Moore
  • Modified:10/07/2016