Stories
DC Central Kitchen is turning the food pantry model on its head by providing culinary training and job opportunities — with support from JPMorganChase.
July 25, 2024
Skills-based training is critical to the economy. By 2030, roughly one-third of the U.S. workforce will need to change jobs or upgrade their skills, according to a report by consulting firm McKinsey. But many workers don’t have access to the training they need to future-proof their careers, or overcome barriers from their past.
In the Greater Washington, D.C., region, local leaders and organizations are offering workforce training programs to help residents grow life-long, sustainable careers. With more than 50 years serving the region, JPMorganChase is helping through its relationships with nonprofits like DC Central Kitchen (DCCK).
Since 1989, DCCK has trained more than 2,400 people in its Culinary Job Training program, providing opportunities for those who often face high barriers to employment—including survivors of homelessness, young adults who are not in school or working, and people with criminal records re-entering the workforce. The program, which is free to students who pass a rigorous enrollment process, features 14 weeks of hands-on training, internship opportunities, and two years of career support after graduation.
“The Culinary Job Training program is the beating heart of DC Central Kitchen,” says DC Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin Jr. “We believe in the transformative power of work, and that everyone deserves a chance to contribute to their community. By empowering our culinary students to achieve their personal and professional potential, we can help stop the cycle of hunger.”
DCCK is much more than a job training center. In 2023 alone, the organization used locally sourced ingredients to prepare 2.7 million meals for schools, shelters and nonprofits in Washington, D.C. DCCK also delivers fresh fruits, vegetables and nutritious snacks to more than 50 independent corner stores, providing affordable and healthy food to underserved neighborhoods.
After three decades of operating out of a windowless office in the basement of a homeless shelter, DC Central Kitchen has entered a new phase of its mission with help from JPMorganChase.
When DCCK became a JPMorganChase client in 2022, the bank’s Community Development Banking team quickly recognized the nonprofit’s impact and its need for growth. Through a $5.4 million New Markets Tax Credit investment, JPMorganChase was able to help DCCK build its new headquarters at the Michael R. Klein Center for Jobs & Justice. The 36,000-square-foot facility houses a state-of-the-art production kitchen, modern classroom, and dedicated training kitchen.
This expansion has already helped DCCK double the yearly enrollment in its training program and create more than 100 new jobs, primarily for its graduates. The new headquarters also expanded DCCK’s volunteer network to 15,000 volunteers annually. This growth is expected to generate over $200 million in annual financial impact for the community by 2025.
Since moving into its new home, DCCK has:
“We’re proud to help expand their culinary job training and other valuable programs,” says En Jung Kim, Head of New Markets Tax Credit for JPMorganChase. “This new space only multiplies DCCK’s impact on the community and the local economy.”
JPMorganChase’s support for DCCK is just one part of its larger commitments to the Greater Washington, D.C., region. In 2022, the bank made a $75 million, five-year commitment to drive more inclusive growth throughout the region and help improve residents’ career prospects.
A core part of the company’s mission involves supporting skills training programs like Urban Ed, a D.C.-based nonprofit that offers technical training in IT and cybersecurity. The company also opened a new virtual call center in Baltimore last year, creating more than 40 jobs and helping employees start their career journeys with JPMorganChase. And JPMorganChase recently announced an $8.45 million philanthropic commitment to support community and economic development in Baltimore, including funding to help entrepreneurs scale and grow their small businesses.
Curtin sees how jobs create dignity and stability every day.
“We know that we’ll never simply feed our way out of hunger,” he says. “But by doing a little bit more each day with relentless incrementalism – through job training and job creation, expanding access to healthy, nutritious food, and aligning with like-minded partners – we’ll build a stronger community together. That’s how we can create future-proof careers and a more inclusive, prosperous future for our thousands of our neighbors at the same time.”
JPMorganChase & Co and its affiliates are not responsible for, nor provide or endorse third party products, services or other content. The company featured is not affiliated with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
