About Us

Our philosophy states that Community Kitchen provides free nutritious meals, nutrition education, referrals to other agencies, and a clean, comfortable social environment for patrons, staff and volunteers.

Through daily operations and educational outreach, Community Kitchen works to educate the public about the extent of hunger in Monroe County, explain probable causes of hunger, and provide ways to respond to hunger needs.

The agency's ultimate goal is for individuals to achieve regular access to an adequate diet through normal means. A soup kitchen is not considered "normal" means, but rather a "safety net" for people who have not yet achieved food security on their own.

Services

Services offered by Community Kitchen of Monroe County are available to everyone.
There are no eligibility requirements.

However, as the agency seeks to expand its services, it will target certain populations including the low-income working class, the underemployed or unemployed, individuals with disabilities, individuals experiencing homelessness, pregnant or nursing mothers, chronically ill individuals, and at-risk children.

The dignity and worth of all patrons will be respected at Community Kitchen
and an ongoing effort to protect their anonymity will be observed.

Community Kitchen
Statement of Values

Community Kitchen wants to reiterate our commitment to serve anyone in need, no questions asked. That has always been and will always be a core value of our organization. Serving anyone means that we do not require any proof or test of citizenship or need. We do not collect information on any individuals other than basic demographic information that assists with grant reporting, and that information is held anonymously. We also will not require identification for services. Community Kitchen’s philosophy states: “The dignity and worth of all patrons will be respected at Community Kitchen and an ongoing effort to protect their anonymity will be observed.”

As patron safety and assurance of safety are important to us, Community Kitchen will not participate in activities that may make patrons feel unsafe or in actions that put patrons at risk. We will do our best to safeguard our locations and the folks within them. We will respect individuals’ pronouns and their relationships. We recognize the inherent value in all people and will not participate in any violation of their personhood.

As it pertains to funding, Community Kitchen will pursue funding and enter into funding agreements that align with our values. We will not pursue funding which carries with it, regulations that violate our values.

We will continue to celebrate the diversity and equity of all of our community members. We seek voices from a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities and orientations to serve on our board, as staff and volunteers, to better reflect the population we serve and serve alongside.

As an organization, Community Kitchen will continue to strive to be good stewards of our environment. We recognize the importance of being good citizens of our planet and will work to reduce our impact on the environment in ways that we can sustainably manage. We will continue to minimize waste by using reusable dishes, utensils and cups, using biodegradable Backpack Buddies bags and biodegradable or recyclable carryout meal containers. We recycle and compost. Both of our locations are fitted with solar panels to reduce our need for electricity from the grid. We will continue to seek new ways to operate both fiscally and environmentally responsibly.

At Community Kitchen, our primary focus is working to ensure our vulnerable neighbors have access to the food they need. We will continue to reach out to serve those community members and make Community Kitchen an organization that folks know they can trust to value them, help nourish them and protect them.

Board of Directors

Learn more about Serving on the Board of Directors

June Taylor, Volunteer Coordinator: june@monroecommunitykitchen.com

Vicki Pierce, Executive Director: director@monroecommunitykitchen.com

Tim Clougher, Assistant Director: assistantdirector@monroecommunitykitchen.com

Kimberly Goy, Development Manager: kgoy@monroecommunitykitchen.com

Ben Dahncke, Operations Manager: ben@monroecommunitykitchen.com

Amy Dyken, Bookkeeper: amy@monroecommunitykitchen.com

Rosy Winchester, Referral Specialist: rosy@monroecommunitykitchen.com

Allyona Shamley, Backpack Buddies Coordinator: ashamley123@monroecommunitykitchen.com

Heather Craig, Kitchen Supervisor: heather@monroecommunitykitchen.com

Amanda Self, Annie Mulcahy, Dining Room Monitors

Allie Burton, Jessica Spoolstra, Madoo Nair, Darren Cress: Food Truck Drivers

Kitchen Staff:
Grant Ward, Mercedes Francois, Asher Nottingham, Madoo Nair, Reba Clapp, Anna Nelson, Patty Saling

Community Kitchen of Monroe County is tax exempt under section 501(c)3 of the Internal
Revenue Code and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.