About 4 years ago, I got a call from Ganesh Kailasam, a gentleman from India who wanted to visit the Kitchen to get a sense of our system. As always, I said “YES”. We had a grand visit, and I gladly shared our model and materials with him, and he shared his vision for a program that he wanted to open in his home city of Chennai.
Fast forward to today. This morning, Ganesh returned with additional guests, and after exchanging “so good to see you again’s” he proudly whipped out materials for The ECO Kitchen. I was (as you will be) blown away.
The ECO Kitchen is a totally green facility. It is naturally lit and ventilated. It cooks with biomass briquettes. It is solar powered and has a wastewater treatment plant that irrigates their garden. AND…they produce 6,000 vegetarian meals per day!! PLUS…their have a catering company (Out of the Box) and a micro-credit food retail program that empowers women in the community.
He introduced me to Sethulakshmi, who is the manager of the Kitchen, and who now wants to incorporate culinary training into their mission. Needless to say, we made a joyful noise as we traded ideas and pledged ongoing support.
Here’s a short video to introduce them to you.
You can support The ECO Kitchen through Global Giving…..and I hope you will.
Consider this just one more amazing example how fun life can be when you have a “YES” attitude, as well as a stunning example of the global movement to empower people.
R
Robert is the Founder and President of L.A. Kitchen, which will open in 2013. The L.A. Kitchen will professionally recover fresh food, with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, which it will use to fuel a culinary arts job training program for men and women coming out of foster care, or older men and women returning from incarceration.
Robert pioneered this model during his 24 year tenure as the President of the DC Central Kitchen, the country’s first “community kitchen”, where food donated by hospitality businesses and farms is used to fuel a nationally recognized culinary arts job training program. Since opening in 1989, the Kitchen (which is a $10 million a year, self-sustaining, social enterprise) has produced over 26 million meals and helped 1,000 men and women gain full time employment. The Kitchen operates its own revenue generating business, Fresh Start Catering, as well as the Campus Kitchens Project, which coordinates similar recycling/meal programs in 33 colleges or high school based kitchens.
In addition, Robert is the Founder and President of CForward, an advocacy organization that rallies employees of nonprofits to educate candidates about the economic role that nonprofits play in every community, and to support candidates who have detailed plans to strengthen the economy that includes nonprofits.
In Washington, Robert was the founding Chair of both the Mayor’s Commission on Nutrition and Street Sense, Washington’s “homeless” newspaper. He was also the Co-Convener of the first Nonprofit Congress, held in Washington DC in 2006. Currently, Robert serves on the Board of the national addiction recovery program, Back On My Feet, the Philanthropic Collaborative, and Chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen.
Robert’s book on the non-profit sector, Begging for Change: The Dollars and Sense of Making Nonprofits Responsive, Efficient and Rewarding For All, was released in 2004 by HarperCollins. It received the 2005 McAdam Book Award for “Best Nonprofit Management Book” by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management.
Robert was included in the Non Profit Times list of the “50 Most Powerful and Influential” nonprofit leaders from 2006-2009. He was the recipient of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s 2007 “Lifetime Achievement” award and the 2004 James Beard Foundation “Humanitarian of the Year” award. He has been named an Oprah Angel, a Washingtonian of the Year, a Point of Light and one of the Ten Most Caring People in America, by the Caring Institute. He is also a 15-gallon blood donor to the American Red Cross.
Robert speaks throughout the country and internationally on the subjects of hunger, sustainability, nonprofit political engagement and social enterprise. He writes blogs and editorials to share his ideas about the nonprofit sector and the future of America. To check out Robert’s most recent speaking schedule, blogs, and editorials, please visit www.robertegger.org.
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