Who will rise to the top? The Campus Kitchen at University of Kentucky (CKUK) is competing in an online fundraiser – ‘Raise the Dough,’ with schools across the U.S., to see who can garner the most money for their kitchen. Schools raising the most funds and securing the most donors have the opportunity to win prizes up to 1,000 dollars. Students, faculty, staff and community members can help CKUK ‘Raise the Dough’ by pledging their support through their online fundraising platform from February 15 through February 22.
With a goal to collect 1,500 dollars, funds raised will expand upon CKUK’s work to end hunger on UK’s campus. Through the launch of the Farm-to-Fork: Free Locally Sourced Lunches for Wildcats program, CKUK offers free, healthy meals to the 43% of UK students who struggle with food insecurity. Since fall 2018, CKUK has served over 1,600 meals to nearly 650 students through the Farm-to-Fork program.
In addition to a healthy meal, students walk away with information they can apply to their lives. “When you think of a free meal, you often think of pizza or a donut, so students are surprised when they arrive and have a full entrée with sides, a dessert and water,” said Liana Dixon, UK Senior and Farm-to-Fork Student Coordinator. “Farm-to-Fork has taught students that eating healthy can be done on a budget. It’s feasible and can be delicious.”
CKUK, an affiliate of the national Campus Kitchen Project (CKP), is an on-campus student service organization housed in the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at UK that provides a sustainable approach to reducing food waste, while also providing healthy meals to those struggling with hunger, both on campus and in the greater Lexington community. CKP announced a matching opportunity to this year’s campaign from Craig Newmark Philanthropies. Every donation of 100 dollars or under up to 15,000 dollars will be matched.