The Campus Kitchen at Kent State will hold its kickoff event on Wednesday at 5 p.m. on the second floor of Beall Hall. Students will prepare hot, healthy meals for the people of Portage County in need.

The Campus Kitchens Project is a national organization that provides meals and groceries to those in need. There are approximately 30 Campus Kitchen locations at high schools and colleges across the nation. Kent State is the only college in Ohio invited to participate in the program.

“The Campus Kitchen at Kent State is trying to meet the hunger and nutritional needs of those within our county,” said Ann Gosky, senior special assistant in the Office of Community Service, Learning and Volunteerism. “We have partnered with Kent Social Services, and our students will be preparing one meal a week each Wednesday to be served at the center for Thursday dinner.”

These hot meals will be delivered every Thursday to Kent Social Services to feed between 50 and 60 people.

Anyone who attends the kickoff event is welcome to sample the food.

According to a press release, The Campus Kitchen will receive $15,000 from the national Campus Kitchens Project, which be used to help the kitchen open and start cooking.

Gosky said students were inspired after their alternative spring beak trip to Washington D.C., where they stayed in the largest homeless shelter in the United States above DC Central Kitchen and the National Campus Kitchens Project.

“Students thought if other campuses can do this, we can as well,” Gosky said. “They really identified that there was a need in Kent, and I think that students felt they had a responsibility to meet that need.”

Claire Rosenwasser, sophomore pre-med and psychology major, attended the alternative spring break trip last spring. She said she hopes a lot of people come out and show their support for the kickoff event Wednesday.

“Everyone is excited,” Rosenwasser said. “We’ve been planning this for awhile. Anybody can come. We are trying to get people to attend, whether it’s prospective volunteers, community partners or faculty. It’s going to be really fun.”

Contact Christine Morgan at [email protected]