The Campus Kitchen at Lee University (CKLee) is know within our network for their innovative and unique approach to fighting hunger and building healthier futures for the residents of Cleveland, TN.  CKLee, both a MLK Day sub-grantee and an awardee of an AmeriCorp VISTA, started in 2009 and is one of 30 schools in the Campus Kitchens Network.

To date, The Campus Kitchen at Lee has recovered over 11,500 lbs of food and produced over 6,000 meals while logging over 1,000 new volunteer hours. This represents an economic impact of over $50,000 for Bradley County.  By engaging proven and promising activities that provide reliable access to food resources for children and families, CKLee has truly set themselves apart.

The feeding partnership with the Backyard Ministries program helps feed over 100 youth and their families every Tuesday evening.  While meals are served on-site, volunteers will interact, exercise and mentor youth from mainly working, migrant families. These meals help stretch funds and provide much needed monetary support, further increasing CKLee’s impact. 

Another on-site feeding is at near by Johnson Park and Summit Apartments. Here confined families living in the apartment complex and homeless individuals come to receive food.  This meal acts as a platform to connect these populations with WIC, SNAP, and other much needed social service programs. 

Anincredibly innovative mark of CKLee is their on campus food bank. Excess food sources from over 6 grocery stores are gathered everyday day in a 26foot refrigerated truck. These food items are then offered in a store format to budget restricted international students populations and students living on campus with families.

Additionally, with help from the MLK Day grant, CKLee has spearheaded the effort behind the Community Action Network, a synthesis between county and city governments and a cast of 50 plus social service agencies. This collaboration is the start of a three year endeavor to alleviate poverty and create awareness in the community about health and nutrition.  CKLee has excelled as a community stakeholder and taken a more holistic approach to become the next generation of non-profit leaders.

By identifying gaps in community care CKLee is increasing the number of individuals who gain access to food sources; ensuring healthy futures. Much of the programming at CKLEE has been made possible through CNCS members, participants, and volunteers and is exemplary of priority measures in the strategic plan. By engaging proven and promising activities that provide reliable access to food resources for children and families CKLee has truly set themselves apart.