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Our Story
Gettysburg College opened its doors in November 2007 as the first Campus Kitchen in Pennsylvania! The project was initiated by Louisa Polos ’07 and is currently managed by the Center for Public Service and student Program Coordinators. Louisa first learned about The Campus Kitchens Project as a volunteer of DC Central Kitchen. She left inspired by the experience and wanted to start a program at her school, so she made it happen!
Our Mission
The mission of the Campus Kitchens Project is to use service as a tool to:
- Strengthen Bodies by using existing resources to meet hunger and nutritional needs in our community;
- Empower Minds by providing leadership and service-learning opportunities to students, and educational benefits to adults, seniors, children, and families; and
- Build Communities by fostering a new generation of community-minded adults through resourceful and mutually beneficial partnerships among students, social service agencies, businesses and schools.
How it Works
- Rescue: Campus Kitchens rescues prepared food that has not been served from Dining Services at Gettysburg College, local hotels, restaurants and caterers.
- Repackage: The food is repackaged and combined with additional foods procured through food drives, local farmers and the food bank, resulting in a well-balanced, nutritious meal. This process requires the highest standards of safety and sanitation.
- Deliver: Congregate and individual meals are delivered through partner agencies on a weekly basis. The delivery is accompanied by a visit, strengthening relationships in the community.
- Education: Meals and partnerships are coupled with nutrition education to empower community members.
How to Donate
All donors are protected from liability by the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (PDF), which the United States Congress passed in 1996.
We can arrange for a weekly pick-up or you can contact us when you have food to donate: campuskitchen@gettysburg.edu or (717) 337-6490.
Join the Leadership Team
The Leadership Team (LT) provides students with the opportunity to take on a position of higher responsibility and leadership in the day-to-day operations of the Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College (CKGC). LT members will take an active role in weekly activities, as well as in the growth and continuation of the CKGC. Simultaneously LT members will learn the basics of non-profit management, organizational structure, and some cooking!
Leadership Team Positions
- Shift Leader (2): Become ServSafe Certified to lead kitchen shifts 2-4 times per month including meal planning, meal preparation, directing and educating volunteers in the kitchen and delivering and serving hot meals when appropriate.
- Social Media and Publicity Chair: Promote a positive image of CKGC by creating an active community on social media platforms; advertise special events and help recruit volunteers for the kitchen, donation pickups and meal deliveries.
- Education and Nutrition Chair (2): Lead educational programs such as Food, Land, People, and help to expand our nutritional education programs for youth and senior citizens.
- Fundraising and Event Chair: Help organize and run CKGC fundraisers, food drives and events.
- Sustainability Chair: Work on maintaining our compost and taking the recycling back to campus bins weekly. Help nurture our herb garden with the compost dirt! Work to spread educational information about sustainability on campus.
- Volunteer Recruitment: Help recruit individual volunteers and groups to fill our shifts, recruit food recovery and delivery drivers and engage students in Campus Kitchen and food insecurity issues.
Apply to the Leadership Team
Application must be completed by Friday, April 12 at 12 p.m.
Campus Kitchen Leadership Team Application (PDF)