Fighting Hunger & Malnutrition

We promote healthy eating in the community, both by educating those who cook and by providing meals to those in need.
We reduce food waste by recovering unsold food from local providers.

Students in our Culinary Job Training program learn to cook healthy and delicious meals.

The meals our students make are donated to residents of low-income housing facilities and homeless shelters.

Our Approach

We offer the only bilingual culinary job training program in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.


We target unemployed and underemployed adults from low-income groups. We began as an organization focused on serving Hispanic immigrants, but thanks to the success of our model, we have been able to expand our services to many other underserved populations as well. Kitchen of Purpose now serves immigrants and refugees from across the globe, veterans, returning citizens, and victims of domestic violence and other traumas. 


We tailor the content of our training to what the food service industry requires, offering employers a workforce of employees with comprehensive culinary knowledge, industry certifications, and life and employment skills. 


In turn, we offer our clients access to higher-skilled and better-paying jobs to provide a sustainable source of income for themselves and their families. 

How Does Our Program Work?

We tackle obstacles to employment faced via a comprehensive program that includes:

Affordable Training

All participants in our program have access to full scholarships, covering tuition, materials, and a weekly transportation stipend.

Industry Certifications

Graduates obtain industry-recognized certifications that differentiate them from other candidates.

Employment Skills

Our program includes coursework in Job Readiness, Vocational English, and Financial Literacy, all of which help prepare students to effectively and more confidently navigate the workplace.

Community Resources

We work with local partners to provide housing, food, childcare, mental health services, legal aid, and other forms of assistance that help our participants gain the stability needed to pursue their professional goals.

Job Placement

We assist all students in obtaining employment opportunities in the food service industry that work for them—taking into account their needs, interests, and skills.

Continued Assistance

 Our graduates receive employment assistance and guidance for  2 years  after graduation and belong to the Kitchen of Purpose family forever.