A message from our Board Chair & CEO
When we look back on 2024 at Giving Kitchen, one feeling rises above all others: gratitude. Deep, humbling gratitude – for you. Your generosity, your belief in our mission, and your willingness to tell the story of Giving Kitchen have lifted us to heights we never imagined.
During 2024, we hit a milestone that took our breath away: serving food service workers in all 50 states. Every. Single. State. From coast to coast, your compassion reached thousands of food service workers facing crisis and reminded them they are not alone. We’ve watched with awe as food service workers reach out to Giving Kitchen at the staggering rate of once every 36 minutes. And you’ve responded, again and again.
Remarkably, more than one-third of all-time Ask for Help requests came in 2024 alone. That level of need could feel overwhelming, but your support transformed it – into hope, into impact, into action.
Throughout this report, you’ll read stories of courage, of relief, of lives changed. Every one of them is made possible by people like you – people who believe that no one should face crisis alone. People who, like Ryan Hidinger more than a decade ago, believe that love in action can create something worthwhile and long-lasting.
The future shines brightly with you in it, and for that we are profoundly grateful. Thank you for making 2024 an extraordinary year. We hope these pages reflect every ounce of the difference you have made.
You are Giving Kitchen. You help food service workers.
With gratitude,
Nancy Oswald
Board Chair
Allison Padilla-Goodman
Chief Executive Officer
The two of us were honored to step into leadership of this impactful organization this past year. And we both did so as a calling: one as a new ceo, bringing a decade of experience and optimism to fighting for an entire community; and the other as a new board chair, returning to the board during a pivotal moment to help lead a mission she’s been deeply committed to since its inception.
Together, we’ve witnessed just how far Giving Kitchen has come – and just how powerful our impact can be when community leads the way
