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Giving Kitchen Day in Atlanta

June 3, 2019

District 2’s city councilor Amir Farokhi presented a proclamation on behalf of the City of Atlanta to name June 3, 2019, Giving Kitchen Day:

Whereas, Founded in 2013 by the Atlanta restaurant community, Giving Kitchen is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance and stability to Georgia food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources; and

Whereas, Thanks to the commitment of Giving Kitchen staff, volunteers and thousands of donors, Giving Kitchen has served more than 2,500 food service workers in crisis, including providing more than $2.6 million in financial assistance through the Crisis Grants program and over 1,000 referrals to community resources through the Stability Network program; and

Whereas, Last month, the James Beard Foundation honored Giving Kitchen with its prestigious Humanitarian of the Year Award at the Foundation’s annual restaurant and chef awards gala in Chicago.

NOW, THEREFORE WE, the members of the Atlanta City Council, and on behalf of the citizens of Atlanta, congratulate Giving Kitchen on this prestigious national award; express our gratitude to Giving Kitchen’s “heroes in aprons”; and hereby proclaim Monday, June 3, 2019, as Giving Kitchen Day in the City of Atlanta.

Jen Hidinger-Kendrick, GK Spokesperson/Co-founder:

Happy Giving Kitchen Day. Thank you to the Atlanta City Council, this is truly an honor.

The story of Giving Kitchen is an Atlanta story.

Only in Atlanta. The fight for one person’s life, my late husband Ryan, became the fight for thousands.

Only in Atlanta. Competitors – from restaurant groups to food distributors to breweries – set aside their differences for the greater good.

Only in Atlanta. Where an idea, a dream, can take shape, and a restaurant community can change. I’d like to offer a careful point of clarification: Giving Kitchen did not change the Atlanta restaurant community, the Atlanta restaurant community changed when they created Giving Kitchen. I’m going to let my friend Leah tell you about what that change has brought to our community.

Leah Melnick, GK Programs Director:

Giving Kitchen provides emergency assistance to food service workers through financial assistance and a connection to community resources. In each of your districts, Giving Kitchen has provided thousands of dollars in financial aid to hard-working men and women in food service facing the crisis of their life – an injury, illness death of a family member or housing crisis because of a flood or fire. To date, Giving Kitchen has awarded over $2.6 million to over 1,600 food service workers. Beyond financial aid through our Stability Network, we have served an additional 1,000 food service workers by connecting them to resources such as counseling, financial planning, transportation, job training and so much more.

All told we’ve served over 2,600 food service workers in crisis – including 1,800 children in the homes of food service workers – but we know there are thousands in communities across Atlanta who need our help.

My challenge to you today: Remember Giving Kitchen. Download our app. And when a food service worker in your district is in need, be a hero, and send them to our team.

Bryan Schroeder, GK Executive Director:

Coca-Cola, Cox Enterprises, Home Depot, Delta, MailChimp – Giving Kitchen? We will see. Giving Kitchen has every intention of being a vibrant, successful national organization… one day. But not today. Today is Giving Kitchen Day in the City of Atlanta, so it’s all about Atlanta! Thank you to our partners, our sponsors, our volunteers, our board and our staff. This award, the James Beard Foundation 2019 Humanitarian of the Year award, doesn’t belong to a single person, it belongs to Giving Kitchen and it belongs to Atlanta.

Atlanta, congratulations on your Beard.

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