From Our Kitchen
Community Kitchen
Our 2500-square-foot Community Kitchen supports our mission by creating nutritious meals for Meals on Wheels, Simple Suppers, Summer Meals for Kids, and our largest meal program Sunshine Meals. Each meal is delicious and nutritional, often featuring fresh produce grown at our CCFB farm sites. Meals on Wheels are hot meals that are home delivered while Simple Suppers, Summer Meals, and Sunshine meals are frozen microwavable meals that can be prepared as needed. Each year we prepare and distribute approximately 100,000 meals.
If you are interested in our Prepared Meals programs, contact Carey Snow, Director of Culinary Operations at 610-873-6000 x121
Simple Suppers
Our Simple Suppers are frozen meals that follow a voluntary “pay what you can” model which does not depend on set prices for its goods, but instead asks customers to pay an amount that they deem comfortable. For those without transportation or who are unable to leave their home to visit local food pantries, deliveries can occur each week.
A box of Simple Suppers consists of a five-week menu cycle that can be picked up at the Food Bank or home delivery is available in some areas of Chester County.
We also provide opportunities for “buy one, give one” allowing for customers to purchase and donate a meal.
Meals on Wheels
Through our partnership with Meals on Wheels, we provide hot meals for homebound seniors living in isolation. Volunteers deliver meals to their homes, providing “nourishment for the body and soul” with each visit. The seniors in this program are grateful for both the food and company they receive.
Sunshine Meals
Sunshine Meals are our free frozen meals that were established in response to the pandemic. We introduced Sunshine Meals to reach new populations and increase total output in response to school closures and increased need. Met with an overwhelmingly positive response, the program has grown to provide thousands of meals each year. Sunshine meals are provided to food cupboards, residences, and many other community partners to reach those in need of meals.
Summer Meals (K-12)
Summer Meals help ensure that students who rely on school for breakfast and lunch can continue to receive nutritious foods throughout the summer when school is not in session. We work to fill the gap in the summer months when children can no longer receive free or reduced meals at school by providing healthy and nutritious ready to eat foods to our partner agencies for distribution to children grades K-12.
Apron Up in Our Kitchen
Volunteer in Our Kitchen
Often the hub of activity, our 2500-square foot commercial kitchen has two components: production and processing. Nearly 5,000 volunteer hours are donated annually to make the work in the kitchen possible. Our team and many of our lead volunteers are ServSafe® certified and we adhere to all food safety regulations.
Although our kitchen does not operate as a meal site for individuals, it does function to provide food and support to our community agency network as well as being a training space for our culinary workforce development.