Community Garden Kitchen of Collin County will break ground at 10 a.m., December 6, at 500 Throckmorton in McKinney.  The non-profit will become the first kitchen in Collin County to prepare and serve meals to those struggling with food insecurity. The idea literally began at a kitchen table shared by concerned friends, will now soon become a reality. 

The approximately 4,500 square foot building will be located at 500 Throckmorton in McKinney, sharing the property with Holy Family Pre-school. The Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, the property owner, is leasing the land to Community Garden Kitchen for $10 a year. Bishop George Sumner, and McKinney Mayor George Fuller and his wife Maylee Thomas Fuller will be in attendance. 

“The simple fact is, there are children, parents, veterans and elderly people who do not have enough to eat. This kitchen intends to address this crisis, so we are very excited to be breaking ground,” explained Angela Poen, President of Community Garden Kitchen. “Our plan is to treat all our guests with dignity and respect. Anyone who needs a meal will be served, no questions asked, no paperwork required.” 

Brown bag lunches will be prepared during the event and donated to Samaritan Inn in McKinney. 

Once the kitchen construction is complete and operational, there will be a paid chef and kitchen assistant who will prepare meals and supervise volunteers. Connections are underway to partner with businesses and organizations that donate food and supply volunteers. The kitchen will eventually be open five evenings a week, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  On Saturdays, the organization will offer free classes  to anyone in the community on gardening, nutrition, healthy lifestyle choices, and financial management. 

According to a study done in 2018 by Feeding America, there are approximately 138,000 food insecure people in Collin County, which is 16 percent of the population. Of those food insecure people, 48,000 are kids. That means 20 percent of kids in Collin County are food insecure. 

This number is likely to increase due to the continued growth of Collin County. The Dallas Morning news published in Feb. 2019, that Collin County is set to have over 2.4 million residents by 2050, according to the Texas Demographic Center. That's more than three times its population in 2010. Other estimates put the county's 2050 population as high as 3.5 million. 

To learn more about Community Garden Kitchen of Collin County, visit: communitygardenkitchen.org