Community Garden Kitchen of Collin County (CGK), an idea that literally began at a kitchen table shared by concerned friends, will soon become a reality. This 501(c)3 nonprofit will break ground Friday, December 6th, 2019 at 10 a.m. and become the first kitchen in Collin County to prepare and serve meals to anyone struggling from food insecurity.
The approximately 4,500 square foot building will be located at 500 Throckmorton in McKinney, sharing the property with Holy Family Pre-school. The Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, the property owner, is leasing the land to Community Garden Kitchen for $10 a year. McKinney Mayor George Fuller and his wife Maylee Thomas Fuller will be in attendance as well as Bishop Sumner of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas.
“The simple fact is, there are children, parents, veterans and elderly people who do not have enough to eat. This kitchen intends to address this crisis, so we are very excited to be breaking ground,” explained Angela Poen, CGK president. “Our plan is to treat all our guests with dignity and respect. Anyone who needs a meal will be served, no questions asked, no paperwork required.”
Brown bag lunches will be prepared during the event and donated to Samaritan Inn in McKinney.
Once CGK construction is complete and operational, there will be a paid chef and kitchen assistant who will prepare meals and supervise volunteers. Connections are underway to partner with businesses and organizations that donate food and supply volunteers. The kitchen will eventually be open 5 evenings a week, from 6 pm – 8 pm. On Saturday, free classes will be offered to anyone in the community on gardening, nutrition, healthy lifestyle choices, and financial management.
According to a study done in 2018 by Feeding America, there are approximately 138,000 food insecure people in Collin County, which is 16 percent of the population. Of those food insecure people, 48,000 are kids. That means 20 percent of kids in Collin County are food insecure.
This number is likely to increase due to the continued growth of Collin County. The Dallas Morning news published in Feb. 2019, that Collin County is set to have over 2.4 million residents by 2050, according to the Texas Demographic Center. That's more than three times its population in 2010. Other estimates put the county's 2050 population as high as 3.5 million.
To learn more about Community Garden Kitchen of Collin County, visit: communitygardenkithen.org