Kitchen Coalition
Ensuring every neighbor has a meal that's right for them
Meals for Community by Community
Kitchen Coalition serves up culturally connected, freshly prepared meals and a whole new way to fight hunger.
We know that not everyone facing hunger has the home, health, or ability to use the groceries our food bank offers. This includes individuals and families with inconsistent access to a kitchen, people with challenges caused by physical mobility issues or illness, or those who are managing a crisis, challenge or time of transition.
So, we’ve built a network of local restaurants and caterers who turn food bank ingredients into nutritious, freshly prepared meals. Then, trusted nonprofits get those meals to neighbors on a predictable schedule.
How It Works
Food Bank Powered Network
Second Harvest Heartland serves as the connector, bringing food and funds to neighborhoods.
- More than 50% of the ingredients our restaurants and caterers use come from Second Harvest Heartland.
Meals Made with Care by Local Chefs
Kitchen Coalition begins by listening to neighbors and community leaders to understand the need for prepared meals and ensure that the meals represent their dietary needs, such as halal, kosher, global cuisine or simply comfort food.
- We listen to what our neighbors want and more than 50% of our meals are made by BIPOC-led or owned restaurants and caterers.
Investing in Our Communities
Restaurants and caterers that are committed to hunger-relief and cook meals that meet our neighbors’ needs are selected and matched with local nonprofits to serve neighbors. Partner kitchens are paid at cost for their work, which means they employ more workers and are better able to weather downtimes for their businesses.
- We invest in local restaurants and caterers. Our partner kitchens employ 70+ culinary workers at 25+ kitchen sites producing our meals.
- To date, more than 5 million meals and $22 million has been invested locally through meals prepared by community for community.
- We distribute 25,000 meals to our communities every week through 100+ nonprofit distribution partners.
This neighbor-first approach means that neighbors are nourished, local businesses are supported, and meals are made and delivered with care.
WHERE ARE KITCHEN COALITION MEALS SERVED?
Access Food Assistance for Your Family
We make and serve meals close to where they are eaten. Some of our meal sites are open to the public, while others are available to people based on participation in a program, educational activity or health service. If you have questions about meal sites or want to learn more, reach out to kitchencoalition@2harvest.org.
Get Involved with Kitchen Coalition
How to Support Us
We value support from every part of the community. Reach out if you're a commercial kitchen with food to donate, a restaurant or business interested in becoming a kitchen site, or community organizations willing to distribute meals.
Kitchen Coalition Partners with 100+ Distribution Sites and 15+ Kitchen Partners
Kitchen Coalition is an initiative of Second Harvest Heartland, created by founding partners Chowgirls Catering and Loaves & Fishes. This program began in the early days of the pandemic to rescue food, re-employ furloughed restaurant workers and get urgently needed meals to a growing community of people facing hunger.
Kitchen Coalition was formerly known as Minnesota Central Kitchen. The program name changed in January 2023.
Since inception, we’ve welcomed a number of kitchen and catering partners, including Afghan Darbar, Afro Deli, Appetite For Change, Big Marina, Boston Scientific, Campus Club, Cargill Compass Kitchen, Cheng Heng, Community Bridge, Compass Group, Create Catering, Eat for Equity, Eurest Dining, Fhima’s, Healthy for Life Meals, InvolveMN @ Minneapolis Women’s Club, Optum, Oasis Market and Grill Restaurant, Pham’s Rice Bowl, The Real Minneapolis, The Sioux Chef and Indigenous Food Lab, Surly Brewing Company, St. Paul College Culinary Arts, and The Wedge Table.
Our community distribution partners are many and include post-secondary schools, community centers, workforce development, clinics, and more.
Types of Partners:
- Access to a kitchen – Partners such as Community Bridge, InvolveMN, and The Real Minneapolis distribute meals to neighbors experiencing homelessness.
- Ability to cook – Brian Coyle Center and Keystone Community Services distribute Kitchen Coalition meals to community members are unable to consistently cook due to mobility issues, illness, or other factors.
- Health / Mental Health – Meals are distributed by partners to neighbors going through health challenges and treatment.
- Transitional / Supportive Housing – Housing partners distribute meals to residents going through transition; meals are distributed by case workers or weekly in community rooms.
- Crisis – Crisis partners, such as domestic violence case workers and local community centers, meet neighbors where they're at, providing meals.
- Training / Workforce development – Partners in workforce development and training programs support growth through training and coaching, providing job site lunches, or meals to take home for dinner.
- Post-secondary – College food pantries serve students experiencing food insecurity, including unhoused populations, or students providing caregiving.
Our work would not be possible without support from thousands of generous individual and corporate donors. To make a donation in support of Kitchen Coalition click here.
Connect With Us on Social Media
Facebook: @kitchencoalition Instagram: @kitchencoalition Twitter: @kitchcoalition
Expands Beyond the Twin Cities
Kitchen Coalition
The Star Tribune highlighted how Kitchen Coalition provides restaurant-style meals to people in need in the Twin Cities, Rochester, and Fargo metro areas.
In the News
A sampling of recent media stories about Kitchen Coalition and its partnership with Second Harvest Heartland.
- 5/21/2024 - Chefs in the Classroom: Preparing Kitchen Coalition Meals at Saint Paul College
- 3/29/2024 - Lunch Time with Kitchen Coalition at Pathways on the Park
- 3/4/2024 - Behind The Wheel: Tagging Along During Kitchen Coalition Meal Pick-Up
- 12/14/2023 - Forging Connections at the 2023 Kitchen Coalition Summit
- 9/21/2023 - Great Plains Food Bank introduces new Kitchen Coalition Program
- 6/26/2023 - Kitchen Coalition Serves People Who Need More Than Groceries
- 2/20/2023 - Campus-based assistance programs aim to combat food insecurity
- 2/8/2023 - Channel One Food Bank welcoming community members to warehouse for April fundraising event
- 1/20/2023 - How Kitchen Coalition makes fresh meals for people in need
- 1/18/2023 - Minnesota-based free, prepared meal program expands