Loaves & Fishes opens new kitchen

Loaves & Fishes this week is celebrating the opening of a new kitchen.

The full commercial kitchen, opened in collaboration with Urban Ventures, will be used by Loaves & Fishes staff to cook large quantities of rescued food, according to Loaves & Fishes. Those entrees will then be reheated and distributed at community sites and for Urban Ventures’ needs and programming.

"This kitchen has been in our planning for years – it would not have happened without the generosity and partnership of Urban Ventures," Loaves & Fishes Executive Director Cathy Maes said. "We are so grateful and this will make a huge difference for our staff, volunteers and ultimately our guest."

Additionally, Loaves & Fishes is planning to create a new program called, "Cooking for All," which will serve meals on-site, utilize urban farm produce grown in the neighborhood and educate others to incorporate low food waste techniques into everyday cooking. The organization said 51% of youth in the area grow up in poverty.