Media Advisory: Grand opening of the Campus Kitchen at Wake Forest University
On Friday, Sept. 19, the Campus Kitchen at Wake Forest University will hold a grand opening for its new home in the heart of campus.
Campus Kitchen is a collaboration of students, faculty, staff, dining services, more than 10 agency partners and the Winston-Salem community. Through a strong partnership with Aramark, the campus dining service, the Campus Kitchen reuses an average of 600 pounds of food per month to feed the underserved – food that is prepared, but never served and would otherwise go to waste. In collaboration with The Fresh Market, the Campus Kitchen redistributes produce that is bruised, damaged or otherwise will not be sold, to food deserts in the community.
Now in its eighth year, Campus Kitchen at Wake Forest has served more than 42,000 meals to those in need. Since 2006, Campus Kitchen has been working hard to serve the Winston-Salem community:
- Nearly 9,000 volunteers have served at Campus Kitchen,
- Committing almost 18,000 service hours,
- And together with Aramark and The Fresh Market, Campus Kitchen has rescued more than 265,000 pounds of food.
Relocating from the Benson Student Center to a lounge in Kitchin Residence Hall, the new kitchen area includes an oven, two refrigerators and an open cooking space. The basement space will be used for gatherings and meetings, movie screenings, and educational workshops for students, faculty and staff.
Schedule of events: The grand opening events will take place at the new Campus Kitchen, located in Kitchin Residence Hall, building #22 on this campus map:
- 4-5 p.m. Food and drinks will be served. Students, faculty, staff, community partners, and guests can explore the new Campus Kitchen lounge
- 5 p.m.: Student Coordinator Oriana Wright to welcome guests
- 5:15 p.m.: Vice President of Campus Life Penny Rue to speak
- 5:45 p.m.: Student Coordinator David Hale to speak
- 6 p.m.: Ceremonial watering of the Campus Kitchen plants (a ground watering ceremony in lieu of a groundbreaking)
Homegrown at WFU
Campus Kitchen has a rich history at Wake Forest. In 1999, Karen Borchert (‘00) and Jessica Jackson (‘00) started a student-run program called Homerun, a weekly food delivery service for those in need. Borchert went on to start the national program, “The Campus Kitchens Project.”
Officially opening its doors in 2006, the Campus Kitchen at Wake Forest has continued to grow every year since. The delivery service that Borchert and Jackson began in 1999 now consists of nearly 20 weekly shifts where students cook and deliver hot meals, and sort and redistribute produce across the Winston-Salem community.
“As Campus Kitchen continues to grow, so will our impact on the community,” said Shelley Sizemore, assistant director for the Wake Forest Pro Humanitate Institute and staff coordinator for Campus Kitchen at Wake Forest. “Winston-Salem is our home, so we are committed to serving in the spirit of Campus Kitchen and the University’s motto of Pro Humanitate.”
About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University combines the best traditions of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a large research university. Founded in 1834, the school is located in Winston-Salem, N.C. The University’s graduate school of arts and sciences, divinity school, and nationally ranked schools of law, medicine and business enrich our intellectual environment. Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu.
