St. Michael's Kitchen Upgrade 2025
A lifeline to fight food insecurity
Rain or shine, our Saturday Kitchen meal and grocery program offers crucial support for neighbors in need. It’s also a place of respect, caring and collaboration.
- Over 17,000 meals served in 2024
- 350+ meals every week —More than twice as many as pre-pandemic
- Over 35 weekly volunteers
- Costs more than $130K per year to operate
- More than 40+ years of continuous operation
Obsolete facilities are stretched to the limit
The basic kitchen design dates from 1948:
- Too cramped
-
No more stovetop — because of City regulatory issues — so we are a soup kitchen that can’t even make soup
- Limited food storage, so we can’t bulk-buy fresh fruits and vegetables
The kitchen was never meant for the current volume, which is unsustainable.
Our best solution is a new commercial kitchen
This means meeting tough City code requirements. Basically, everything must change:
- New fire-suppression and air-management systems
- New chimney
-
Doubling our current kitchen/pantry/storage area
- New floor, cabinets, walls, ceiling, drains, sinks, dishwasher and hot water supply
- New equipment
We will add needed capacity and efficiency
- Consolidate work spaces
-
Modernize equipment, including new stove
- Create a pass-through directly from the kitchen to the bagging area
- Increase freedom of movement in the kitchen
- Elevate sanitation standards
- Expand food storage and refrigeration, including walk-in fridge/freezer
It will cost over $2 million to install a commercial kitchen in our old building.
- Substantial funding has already been assembled, but we have a long way to go
- We would not do this project if we did not have growing pains — In 2024, we again
broke our record for meals served
Ready to help us help others?
Donate through our 501(c)(3):
- St. Michael’s Community Programs, Inc.:
EIN 06-1551694
- Eligible for employer matching grants
- Online or by check — specify “DWO—Kitchen Campaign” as the purpose
Donor Advised Funds:
- Use EIN 13-1656684 and indicate “New Kitchen” as the purpose
Contact a Doors Wide Open campaign chairperson:
We are making progress, but there is a long way to go...
How much should you give?
Giving capacity is very individual. And you may already support numerous causes.
Please dig deep to help this one-time community project happen.
Maybe surprise yourself!
