TEEN KITCHEN PROJECT ANNUAL REPORT
July 1, 2023 / June 30, 2024
I am delighted to share our Annual Report for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. I hope you read it with a sense of pride for what your gifts and support of Teen Kitchen Project (TKP) has made possible. For twelve years, TKP as been engaging youth in the preparation of meals delivered to clients living with critical and chronic illness.
Youth development is at the core of what we do. This past year, we served 55% more youth in our kitchens. Guided by our TKP adult chefs, they prepare hundreds of Medically Tailored Meals per day. Youth work together as they develop lifelong cooking skills while building their leadership skills. Youth report feeling an increased connection to their community and self confidence as a result of doing this very meaningful work.
In fiscal year 2024, TKP saw a 40% increase in clients, serving 1,016 households. TKP delivered a record-breaking 114,492 meals, a 45% increase from the previous year. Serving these increasing numbers takes a dedicated team of staff, community partners, and a committed board of directors. In addition, it requires donations from generous individuals, foundations, businesses, and government agencies. In short, we could not accomplish this feat without a community of supporters like you behind us!
Today, TKP is a statewide leader in the food is medicine movement, working to ensure Medically Tailored Meals (MTM) become an integral part of healthcare interventions statewide so anyone living with critical and chronic illness has access to nutrition security through meal support.
In 2022, the local Medi-Cal plan provider, Central California Alliance for Health, began offering a program called Community Supports to offer specialized interventions to meet the unique needs of Medi-Cal members. This program is designed to test out how interventions translate to cost savings for the plan provider and include a reimbursement to TKP for meals provided. This reimbursement program has created an opportunity for TKP to increase capacity and reach more clients in the coming years. To accommodate the new demand for services, TKP started raising funds in 2023 for a new home to include kitchen and offices. This $3.5 million capital project is crucial to address the increasing needs of the critically ill in Santa Cruz County. As we continue striving toward our goal, I am confident we can rise to the challenge with your support!
Warmly,
Angela Farley / Executive Director
“We are so proud of the work we have accomplished over the last 12 years. As we look towards the future, our current strategic plan aims to prepare TKP for continued growth and expansion. Over the next three years, we will be focusing on capacity building and infrastructure development. We are so excited to work with our staff, our volunteers, and the community to achive our goals.”
by
numbers 1,016 CLIENTS SERVED 114,492 MEALS DELIVERED 99
TEEN CHEFS
40,000
MILES DRIVEN
Our Volunteers provide high value support: Their
TEEN VOICES
“Working at Teen Kitchen Project made me more confident and comfortable when cooking meals, and I carried my skills into my kitchen at home to make food for myself and my family. I learned a lot about using knives and keeping a sanitized area. I feel like I accomplished making an impact in the project by helping prepare/cook/ package food.”
Clients served:
Client location:
Thank You!
Thank you to our community partners who have supported TKP with over $1,000 of support or over $2,000 of in-kind support:
1,016 unduplicated clients
Our Board of Directors:
CLIENT
“Our sincere appreciation for your wonderful service. When my wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer our lives were totally turned upside down. Some chemo treatments have lasted 7 1/2 hours and when we finally get home it is a great relief not to have to face fixing the nightly meal. ”
CLIENT VOICES
“TKP has been such a blessing. I love the meals, and I feel so much better now. I have actually lost a little weight and my doctor is happy with the improvement in my blood sugar. I eat more vegetables now and new kinds of vegetables, too. I am feeling more energy, and I even take walks almost every day. I appreciate this program so much. Thank you. ”
“I have been a Delivery Angel for over four years. It has been such a great experience. I have gotten to know the staff who are all very dedicated and clearly passionate about what they do. Greeting the clients and bringing meals is the highlight of my afternoon.”
Stay Tuned!
More news is coming soon about our exciting new kitchen expansion to meet the growing needs in our community.
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