How to Help
Baltimore
Maryland Food Bank
410-737-8282; mdfoodbank.org
Boston
Pine Street Inn
617-892-9186; pinestreetinn.org
New York City
City Harvest
917-351-8762; cityharvest.org
Philadelphia
Philabundance
215-339-0900; philabundance.org
sustainable. Curtin says DCCK became
“involved in social enterprise probably
before the word had even been coined.”
This year, DCCK is running five
16-week job training courses with 20 to
25 students per class. These classes help
employ “people who have had a rough
go of it,” says Curtin—second- or third-
generation addicts and those recently
released from prison, who are often the
hardest to employ.
Curtin also discusses the economic
benefits that arise from feeding others.
Instead of the $40,000 it costs to keep
someone in prison, the “spinoff revenue”
begins the minute a student receives his
or her first paycheck and has to pay rent,
ride the Metro or buy groceries. Although
the D.C. recidivism rate is 73 percent
within one year, over the past three years,
DCCK’s rate has been less than 3 percent.
Today, 48 of DCCK’s 115 full-time paid
employees are graduates of its programs,
and although change is immediately
apparent in students, the real mission
remains generational, systemic change.
“While handing a sandwich to some-
one is absolutely necessary,” Curtin says,
“just doing that is not really going to make
a difference. We are never going to feed
our way out of hunger.”
DCCK’s model has been replicated
successfully in more than 40 cities and
has been observed by leaders from Esto-
nia, Japan and Spain. Curtin vows that he
and his team will continue what they’re
doing until the need for feeding the hun-
gry is eliminated.
“We work hard every day to put ourselves out of business,” he says.
dccentralkitchen.org
Nestled in the picturesque hamlet of Ellis
Hollow, Amazing Grace Bed & Breakfast is
located in a charming 1836 farmhouse. We
are minutes to vibrant downtown Ithaca,
Cornell University, and Ithaca College, and
a half hour to Greek Peak Ski Resort, yet
surrounded by exquisite countryside.
Bountiful beautifully prepared, farm fresh breakfasts served
daily. Our small herd of horses gracing the pastures add magic to
each visit…Music is everywhere....
& Reservation Service www.amazinggracebnb.com
607-539-1163 136 Hunt Hill Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850
Lovely downtown Ithaca locations also available through our reservation service.
