CK meal programs
food justice = food security + access + dignity
Community Kitchens offers a free, accessible community meal program for Oakland’s most underserved community members. Our priority is to feed people left behind by other food programs and to build community and solidarity through food.
To promote food justice, we focus on equal dignity and equal access. Our founding principle “Meals With Dignity” means we proudly serve the same meals we would serve our family, to warm not only the body, but also the spirit. Our Community Partners and CK Mobile Oasis deliver our meals directly to our unhoused community.
Our central kitchen
We have transformed the former Kingston11 restaurant into our Central Kitchen. Our Central Kitchen prepares up to 4000 meals a week. Our workforce development program focuses on supporting young adults aging out of foster care and we also have culinary job training programs to support those with barriers to employment. Our door front program at our Central Kitchen serves 300 meals a day, Sunday through Thursday from 11am to 2pm. This program gives us daily interactions and connections with our unhoused residents. From the kitchen to the table, we support our community at every step.
unhoused outreach
We believe food is a basic human right
Our founding meal program continues to be our top priority as we hone our meal distribution to better serve the special needs of Oakland’s unhoused individuals and families. Not everyone has access or the means to cook in a kitchen. We fill that gap and cook for those that can’t cook for themselves. Guided by dignity, connection, and hope, we work toward a future where everyone has access to nourishing meals.
youth programs
supporting healthy kids
Our Youth Meal Program partnerships support the health and well-being of our kids to ensure they learn, play and grow! Our Youth Meal Program was founded in 2020 working Kerry’s Kids, a mobile medical nonprofit that supports unhoused families with young children. We filled in the gap by providing hot meals to families living in cars and hotel rooms.
We have partnered with Oakland Parks and Recreation Town Camps, OUSD Saturday Sports Camp, Homies Empowerment’s Youth Breakfast Program, YMCA Head Start, Diabetes Youth Families, Trybe’s After School programming and the Eat. Learn. Play. Bus.
town fridges
building community & solidarity through food
Town Fridges is a grassroots effort supporting publicly accessible refrigerators located in food deserts and high-poverty neighborhoods throughout Oakland where residents in need can find fresh and prepared food on a self-serve basis. Town Fridges are located in neighborhoods where over 50% of the households are food insecure and 25% live below the national poverty line.
We stock a network Town Fridges throughout Oakland with freshly prepared meals.
text-based meal alerts
connecting directly with the people
At the White House Conference Listening Sessions we conducted in 2022, we heard that our unhoused struggled with finding a central source of information on where to find prepared meals.
In response, we launched our CK Text-Based communication platform providing meal alerts to our community to let them know when and where our meals are served. It also provides our clients a way to provide us with feedback. Most importantly we are building a network for getting input directly from the people on the programs we are building.
DINERS
Dining for Justice, just one penny for every dollar spent
CENTRAL KITCHEN
Cook meals
Culinary Job Training
COMMUNITY ORGS
Distribute meals
Provide other support and services
Connected and trusted
MEAL PROGRAMS
Unhoused, Town Fridges, Low-Income Youth, Families and Seniors