The Campus Kitchen Project at Kent State University, a student-powered program that provides meals to local families in need, received the Excellence in Operations award at the National Campus Kitchens Project Conference in St. Louis, which took place Oct. 28-30.
“Kent State received one of three national awards, which is very impressive considering we started Campus Kitchens just eight months ago,” said Ann Gosky, project advisor. “We excelled in the operations category because we connected the project to our hospitality management and nutrition & dietetics programs, and also because we created instructional videos for volunteers.” The videos, shot by visual communication design student Thomas Song, detail how to properly use kitchen equipment and the importance of sanitation.
Kent State is one of 31 kitchens across the United States that empowers thousands of students to recycle food and create nourishing meals for local families that need it the most. Under the direction of advisors Chef Ed Hoegler and Gosky, Kent State has recovered 12,700 pounds of food after on-campus sporting events and from local farmers’ markets and restaurants. More than 5,950 meals were served since its inception in March 2011.
According to kitchen manager and hospitality management major Lisa Hofer, more than 420 volunteers have spent 1,000 hours preparing and serving meals. “We are always looking for more volunteers to help with preparing the food in Beall Hall’s second floor kitchen, and to assist with event planning and public relations opportunities,” Hofer said.
For more information about the Campus Kitchen at Kent State or to volunteer, visit www.kent.edu/emsa/service/campus_kitchen
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