Great news from DC Central Kitchen

A great note from our friends at DC Central Kitchen:

I want to thank you again for your recent gift. With your support, we surpassed our goal of 10,000 and reached $13,477 in individual donations, allowing us to take full advantage of Clark Construction’s $10,000 match for a total of $23,477. These funds are already impacting the community, funding an entire summer of locally grown produce for nutritious meals, stimulating the local economy, and preventing good food from going to waste.

I am positively overwhelmed by the generosity of our supporters during this difficult summer. We know that this economy is tough and that gas and food prices are affecting everyone, which is why your support is especially meaningful. I’m always deeply inspired when our supporters step up to lend a hand during tough times. Your support has allowed us to expand our programs at a time when they are most needed.

Recently, the Washington Post covered our efforts to combat high food prices and support our local economy. I wanted to point you to this article, because it’s a good example of what we are achieving with your help.

Value, Virtue Close to Home
The Washington Post

Thanks again for all that you do.

Michael F. Curtin, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer
DC Central Kitchen

You can read the article here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/23/AR2008052302567.html

More on the DCC Kitchen here:
www.dccentralkitchen.org

Market-based Approach to Hunger Relief

Jason Krasilovsky, left, and Victor Marshall, Fannie Mae volunteers, chop onions at the DC Central Kitchen. The potatoes and onions come from Toigo Orchards and Farms in Shippensburg, Pa. (By Kevin Clark -- The Washington Post)

One of the reasons why I love the D.C. Central Kitchen is that they're on the cutting edge of not just the non-profit sector, but the world overall. This powerful article talks about how their Farm Cooperative, which buys produce seconds from regional farmers, has been helping them to achieve remarkable savings while also improving food quality... something they were doing WAY before the "slow food" revolution got popular:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/23/AR2008052302567.html

If you are involved with a hunger relief organization such as a food pantry, soup kitchen or food bank, I strongly encourage you to consider ways that local produce can reduce your costs while also supporting the place that you call home.

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United Way's New Goals

Thanks to Foundation Center's Philanthropy News Digest for this important update on one of the country's largest funders of health & human services:

The United Way of America has announced that it will direct most of its giving toward a ten-year effort to halve the high school dropout rate and number of working families struggling financially while increasing by a third the number of youths and adults considered healthy, the Washington Post reports.

Locally, I am very interested to see how Gary Godsey and team are going to respond to this challenge... particularly in light of the rumor that I've heard about them opening up their system to a broader designation-based funding model through which non-partner agencies can receive gifts.

Oh the times, they are a'changin'.

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