Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Poen.
Hi Angela, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In the first year, CGK has distributed 26 tons of food to other charitable groups and served 24,000 free meals.
MISSION AND VISION
Our mission: to serve nutritious meals in a safe welcoming place to people suffering the fear and distress of food insecurity.
Our vision: to be a place of compassion and hope. Those who come for a meal are received unconditionally; no questions asked, no paperwork required.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: ANGELA’S TABLE MEALS PROGRAM
As the first kitchen of its kind in Collin County, Angela’s Table offers free evening meals four nights a week (Monday through Thursday), 6 to 8 pm. Seating is restaurant style at individual tables with 100 to 130 guests per seating. A paid professional chef plans and prepares healthy, delicious meals for CGK guests. When the guests arrive, a volunteer greets them, shows them to a table, takes their food and drink orders, and serves their meal. Who are these guests? They are single parents, the working poor, students, veterans, seniors, the homeless, and anyone who needs a meal. No questions are asked, and no paperwork is required. Guests have a true restaurant experience and dine with dignity.
ORGANIZATION HISTORY
The Community Garden Kitchen was formed to address food insecurity in Collin County. Alarmed by local hunger data, in 2014, a group of concerned citizens began to explore existing models for feeding the hungry.
Volunteers visited kitchens in adjacent counties and developed a relationship with the Culinary Arts Program of Collin College. They went as far afield as Kansas to visit a well-established restaurant-style kitchen. These explorations were intended to avoid CGK’s reduplicating local programs (for example, Meals on Wheels and local food banks); and to clarify its vision of its preferred model. CGK settled on a restaurant-style program as opposed to a soup kitchen model, intending from the beginning to offer a place where guests could have the chance to dine with dignity in a friendly environment.
CGK incorporated as a 501(c) 3 in 2016 and launched an intensive fundraising campaign for constructing its facility. Completely equipped and paid for at a cost of $950,000, the Kitchen opened June 7, 2022.
The dining operation is managed by eight board members. The paid staff includes a professional chef and one kitchen assistant. All other duties are managed by one of our 900 volunteers.
MILESTONES
2014-2015 Develop vision and mission for project – Complete
2015 – Appoint Board of Directors and CEO (volunteers) – Complete
2015 – 2016- Begin capital campaign – Complete
2016 – Achieve 501(c3) Status – Complete
2017 -Finalize a long-term lease for land – Complete
2018 – Approval from the City to construct – Complete
2019 – Groundbreaking – Complete
2020 – Organic Garden designed – Complete
2020 – 2021 Garden construction and planting – Ongoing
2022 – Debt-free restaurant facility completed and ready for occupancy – Complete
2022 – Kitchen open – Complete
2022 – Distribution of surplus food to other nonprofits serving food- Complete
2022 – Data collection for evaluation plan – Ongoing
2023 – Development of Strategic Plan – Complete
FINANCIAL NEEDS
CGK volunteers have formed connections with food sources to ensure CGK has an abundance of food. CGK has established partnerships with four grocery stores, the North Texas Food Bank, restaurants, local farmers and dairies, and McKinney Roots – a local volunteer-run organic farm producing seasonal fruits and vegetables year-round. All in-kind food donations are an essential part of the meals served.
However, not all of the food needs can be supplied through in-kind donations and gardening. Additional food supplies are purchased, especially items that are not shelf stable, such as dairy, produce, and protein. Financial donations to the feeding program enable the chef to purchase key food items to augment donations, ensuring that menus are balanced, healthy, seasonal, and delicious.
Beyond the food needs for Angela’s Table, the budget must accommodate general operating expenses for salaries, utilities, insurance, maintenance, security, and other expenses to keep the operation functional. To this end, the CGK Board hosts fundraising events, makes regular appeals to donors, and solicits grants from foundations, civil organizations, and businesses.
OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS CGK SUPPORTS
CGK supports other local organizations that are addressing food insecurity, including Community Pantry, Life Path, Allen Ministerial Alliance, Renovacion Iglesia Del Nazareno, and the Little Free Pantry. Each day as food donations arrive, items that will not be used at CGK are set aside for each of these organizations to receive and distribute at their locations to people in need. Since opening in June 2022, CGK has distributed twenty tons of food products to partners.
RELEVANT DATA
McKinney:
In 2020-21 approximately 1 in 3 MISD students qualified (based on family Income) for free and reduced-price meals (Texas Education Agency). In zip code 75069 (McKinney and Fairview), approximately 4000 people are estimated to be food insecure.
Collin County Census tract 309: The Kitchen is located on the East Side of McKinney in census tract 309. As provided by Texas Health Community Impact in 2021, the relevant demographics are:
a. 24.3% live below the poverty level
b. 51.1% pay excessive housing costs
c. 80.8% receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits
d. 17.1% report experiencing frequent mental stress
e. 93.9% have limited access to healthy food
f. 38.5% are uninsured
MAJOR DONOR STATISTICS
Globe Life
Manner Polymers
Episcopal Foundation of Dallas
Love Life Foundation
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas
Kroger
Communities Foundation of Texas
Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union
Aegon Transamerica
H E B
CoServ Charitable Foundation
Encore Wire
Junior League of Collin County
Rotary McKinney
Many people in McKinney deal with food insecurity. In 2020-21, approximately 1-in-3 McKinney ISD students qualified (based on family income) for free or reduced-price meals (Texas Education Agency). In 2017-2018, 1,156 students registered in Collin County were classified as homeless. In zip code 75069, as many as 4,000 people are estimated to be food insecure. The CGK facility has been centrally located in this area of high need in order to reach and feed as many people as possible. CGK will serve anyone in need, regardless of their zip code of residence.
CGK is a safe, welcoming place where anyone in need may enjoy a delicious, healthy dinner. Meals are served restaurant-style in an effort to preserve the dignity of all our guests, and no one is required to complete paperwork or present identification before being served. Seating allows for 100 guests at one time.
The CGK is an important complement to other services providing food to fill the needs in our area. Many people experiencing hunger do not have the equipment or opportunity to prepare or store food. This kitchen is the only facility in Collin County open in the evening to meet the food needs of single parents, students, the working poor, veterans, the homeless, and senior citizens.
To further augment the food supply, a quarter-acre vegetable and fruit tree garden has been started on the campus to serve both as a teaching and learning garden center. Fresh, organically grown food is incorporated into the meals that are served. Volunteers plant, manage and harvest a variety of vegetables that are enjoyed by dinners at the kitchen.
Our success is measured by the number of meals we serve. Given our dining room seating capacity of 100 people, the aim is to serve at least 600 meals each week. Ending food insecurity can be reduced in Collin County by supporting Community Garden Kitchen.
Food Coalition
Community Garden Kitchen (CGK) began its partnership with the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) Retail Partners, Tom Thumb, Kroger, Sprouts, and Winco grocery stores in June of 2022 to receive donated food items. The CGK volunteer transportation team worked with each store department manager to establish efficient methods for pickup and delivery of the donated food products and ways to reduce waste and utilize everything received.
It quickly became apparent that the volume of food donations exceeded CGK’s needs and storage capacity. CGK’s food resource manager contacted five other non-profit organizations in Collin County that distribute food to people in need, and now excess food is shared with these entities. In eight months, CGK has distributed 20 tons of food to community partners.
To further improve food use and distribution, CGK is working with Community Lifeline to organize and consolidate efforts among food distribution groups in the community. A coalition of 8 nonprofit food distributors has been formed to easily share food items from NTFB with each other.
The community cooperation among the groups feeding our neighbors has grown and expanded over the past year. It is a privilege to work with these dedicated people in this mission to end food insecurity.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There were many delays during the construction of the building because it was initiated during the pandemic. Much of the equipment that was installed was faulty and additional repairs were required.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have served as the President and Executive Director of Community Garden Kitchen for the last nine years. The concept for building this facility was my concept and I have been supported by many volunteers to bring this about. I am most proud of the wonderful volunteers and the financial contributors who made this dream become a reality. We are now able to offer delicious, freshly prepared meals to anyone struggling with food insecurity. I hope to set a new model for our type of operation. Soup kitchens can have a poor connotation. We are a free meal restaurant devoted to dining with dignity for our guests.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
Where do I begin? If you have a dream to do something, don’t be influenced by others who tell you it can’t be done. Know you will have to work really hard and be really devoted to your project. Don’t get discouraged.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.communitygardenkitchen.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/community_garden_kitchen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/communitygardenkitchenofcollincounty/
