An Arlington nonprofit has received a $200,000 award supporting its food assistance programs and career training for immigrants and minorities.
Kitchen of Purpose last month received the annual Neighborhood Builders Award — a Bank of America grant recognizing high-impact nonprofits nationwide. The award comes as Kitchen of Purpose seeks to increase revenue streams under a new CEO who took the reins in late 2023.
The nonprofit — founded in 2014 as La Cocina VA — offers five intensive food-service courses each year at 918 S. Lincoln Street, enrolling about 80 students annually.
“Our core is training men and women, mostly new Americans, that are unemployed for jobs in the food and beverage industry, mostly cooks and chefs,” CEO Brian MacNair told ARLnow.
As a result, about 60 to 70 people are placed into new jobs each year, generating about $2 million in new salaries and half a million dollars in taxes, MacNair said. They go on to work at restaurants, senior living facilities, food service nonprofits and corporation headquarters, like Amazon HQ2.
But it’s not all knife cuts and mother sauces. Kitchen of Purpose also provides classes on entrepreneurship for budding business owners, along with career resources and financial counseling to its graduates.
This is all in addition to donating about 20,000 after-school meals in Northern Virginia each year.
In accepting the award, MacNair and Daniela Hurtado, director of operations and programs, will attend executive leadership training and access a national network of peers in similar roles.
Looking ahead, MacNair has a couple of goals for Kitchen of Purpose — most focused on increasing financial sustainability.
“Always in the back of my mind is, how can we earn money as a nonprofit to be sustainable?” MacNair said. “The sustainable future for us is to earn more money, not just fundraise.”
Kitchen of Purpose made the decision last month to close The Cafe, an in-house eatery and business incubator, to maintain finances. The Cafe was not profitable for the past few years, MacNair said, although he hopes to introduce a new program within the next six to eight months.
While this replacement is still in development, MacNair is considering a meal service program that would serve those facing food insecurity. He compared it to refettorio — an Italian word referencing a community hub for meals and social services.
“It’s serving a meal with dignity,” MacNair said. “It’s just an opportunity for folks who don’t normally get to sit in a nice cafe and have a nice meal to do that, and we would provide wraparound service opportunities, too.”
Aside from these changes, Kitchen of Purpose continues to offer resources for D.C.-area immigrants and minority communities to learn new skills and find employment.
It is the only bilingual culinary program in the region for English and Spanish speakers, and last year’s students represented 19 countries.
This is the second time one of MacNair’s organizations has won the award. DC Central Kitchen received the same grant 20 years ago, when MacNair was chief development officer.
“It was one of the most useful awards that we ever got, because it is $100,000 per year for two years, which is great for our general operations,” MacNair said. “I can tell you exactly where that money will go.”
