Community Kitchen Pittsburgh (CKP) is a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013. The organization provides thousands of prepared meals daily to area homeless shelters, schools, afterschool programs, and other nonprofits serving vulnerable clientele through its community meals program, while delivering culinary job training and transitional employment for adults experiencing barriers to employment. CKP has always integrated its food access work with job training and employment opportunities because food insecurity and joblessness are entwined issues.

About Community Kitchen Pittsburgh

Community Kitchen Pittsburgh uses food as the foundation to change lives and improve communities.

Programs & Impact

Through its community meals program, Community Kitchen Pittsburgh has prepared and delivered over 5 million meals to food-insecure, low-income, and other vulnerable families, children, and adults throughout the Greater Pittsburgh region.

The organization has also supported, trained, and placed over 700 people into regional food industry jobs. By providing short-term vocational training, CKP puts individuals back to work while supplying a crucial staffing pipeline to the local hospitality sector, which currently accounts for 80,000 regional jobs and continues to grow.

Get Involved

Community members can support Community Kitchen Pittsburgh by booking their next catered event through the organization—not only does catering revenue directly support its programming, but culinary students also learn their craft alongside professional catering chefs. Readers can also make tax-deductible donations to support either the culinary training or community meals programs.

How Support Helps

Community Kitchen Pittsburgh generates 60% of its operating budget through social enterprise operations, such as catering services and its food truck, relying on charitable donations for the remaining 40%. These contributions allow the organization to provide students with everything required to learn and excel—including uniforms, kitchen tools, curriculum materials, transportation assistance, math and financial literacy classes, and 12 weeks of hands-on culinary training under the direction of professional chef instructors.

Community Kitchen Pittsburgh seeks to connect and support the regional food economy while creating lifelong opportunities for people who need employment.

To donate, visit ckpgh.org/donate.

Story and Photography by Community Kitchen Pittsburgh

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