Cargill Foundation donates $1M, cafeteria space to support Minnesota Central Kitchen

As the spread of COVID-19 continues, so do the needs of those affected by the pandemic.

Tuesday, Cargill Foundation announced it’s supporting the Minnesota Central Kitchen to help feed those who are food insecure in the Twin Cities community.

The donation includes kitchen space at Cargill headquarters, which will provide employment opportunities and about 4,000 meals per day, and $1 million to add a distribution site in North Minneapolis with Appetite for Change to help support the production of 120,000 meals across all of Minnesota Central Kitchen’s sites.

Minnesota Central Kitchen makes the meals with space, staff, supplies and food provided by restaurants, Second Harvest Heartland coordinates logistics, then Loaves & Fishes and Appetite for Change distribute the free, to-go meals to Minnesotans at various locations around the state.

"We can’t fight this virus hungry and yet hunger is growing in our community every day. Effectively battling COVID-19 is going to take all of us coming together, putting our best innovations forward, to make sure everyone is safe and fed," said Allison O’Toole, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland. "The Cargill Foundation’s support of Minnesota Central Kitchen is a perfect example of the kind of powerful partnerships we need right now. We’re grateful for Cargill’s long-standing backing and we’re not surprised that they’ve stepped forward, once again, when we need the community to come together like never before."

“For those of us who choose to cook for and serve people as a profession, the thought of not being able to do so is heartbreaking,” added Jonathan Gans, The Bachelor Farmer’s executive chef. “We hope that, through the MN Central Kitchen, even though many of our businesses will be affected by this pandemic, we will still be able to feed and take care of those who need it most during these difficult times. A cook needs to cook, and that’s what I intend to do.”