The Campus Kitchen Project at Washington and Lee University is a campus owned affiliate of the Campus Kitchens Project. Our mission is to Strengthen Bodies, Empower Minds, and Build Communities. CKWL does this providing hunger relief in the Rockbridge County area, recycling food that has not been would otherwise go to waste.
In the Rockbridge area, we work with eleven agencies. We provide meals to Habitat for Humanity homes, the Robert E. Lee Hotel apartments, the Manor at Natural Bridge, Rockbridge Area Hospice, Project Horizon, the Lexington City Office on Youth’s afterschool program, Rockbridge Area Occupational Center, Magnolia Center, Lexington Presbyterian, Waddell Head Start, and Diabetes Classes at the Free Clinic. Based on the needs of each agency, we provide either a hot meal to serve or cold meals that can be heated at our clients’ convenience. Providing hot meals gives us the opportunity to build true community with our clients as we serve and eat with them.
Campus Kitchen is largely a student run organization. From our campus’ founder, Ingrid Easton, ‘06, to the student Leadership Team, the majority of the initiative to begin and run with this program has been student led.
In our first three years CKWL has served 41,963 meals, recruited 8,193 volunteer hours, and recovered 35,791 pounds of food.