During August and September, groups of Sempra and SDG&E employees came together to support the volunteer efforts of Kitchens for Good – a local nonprofit that provides culinary training for individuals transitioning from incarceration, homelessness and foster care.
Project nourish
Food insecurity in San Diego County has nearly doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dedicated to breaking this cycle of food waste, poverty and hunger, Kitchens for Good has been fighting this reality through Project Nourish.
Project Nourish ensures hunger-relief meals that better meet the cultural and dietary needs of food-insecure San Diegans - better than the staple foods and dried goods traditionally provided by food banks and pantries. Whether that means customizing their menu to be vegan, child-friendly, or sensitive to the needs of elderly clients, Kitchens for Good is dedicated to helping all community members.
Getting to work
Proudly supporting these efforts, SDG&E recently provided Kitchens for Good a $5,000 grant to help fund Project Nourish. Along with funding, SDG&E also put in the muscle work. Over the course of five Wednesday evening shifts, approximately 60 volunteers have helped portion and package nutritious and delicious heat-and-eat meals.
The work our team and Kitchens for Good is putting in, will give 118,000 nutritious heat-and-eat meals to San Diegans. These Project Nourish meals are allocated efficiently and free of charge to community members all thanks to various distribution partners including the San Diego Food Bank and its network of 500 partners, Elder Help, Vista Senior Center, and Grossmont Community College.
As you have likely experienced over the past 18-months, many local restaurants are struggling to stay in business, and staffing has been one of the largest concerns. SDG&E is proud to be an early funder of Kitchens for Good’s Kitchens on Call program, set to launch later this Fall.
Through this workforce program, Kitchens for Good will essentially act as a staffing agency, connecting their trained apprentices with jobs in some of the region’s top restaurants. In essence, this and other Kitchens for Good programs are providing meaningful employment opportunities for those who have struggled with addiction, incarceration or other factors that have prevented them from gaining employment.
Sign up to volunteer
Kitchens for Good has a variety of volunteer opportunities for individuals including packaging meals or helping out with special events. Learn more about how you can make an impact for seniors, children, and families who do not have regular access to nutritious, affordable food: https://kitchensforgood.org/volunteer/