Casper College to Launch Campus Kitchen

By: Lisa S. Icenogle

The Casper College Nutrition program, under the leadership of Kelsey Phillips, Ph.D. will launch the Campus Kitchen at Casper College by November 2016.

The college became an affiliate partner of the Campus Kitchens Project following participation in a national grant competition to win one of three $5,000 grants to launch a kitchen, said Phillips, environmental science instructor at Casper College. “May 2-9, we competed against three, four-year, selective enrollment schools. This win is certainly something to be proud of,” she said, adding, “We are thankful to everyone who supported us and voted every day.”

According to Phillips, The Campus Kitchens Project builds a student-run kitchen on campus whose purpose is to recover unserved food, and then repurpose it into healthy balanced meals, which are provided to local individuals who are experiencing food insecurity. Food is donated to the Campus Kitchen at Casper College from Sodexo Dining Services. Other organizations can also donate unserved food. “Sodexo Dining Services at Casper College will donate kitchen space for the Campus Kitchen at Casper College and nutrition students will plan and construct meals that align as closely as possible to the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The $5,000 grant provides us with the money needed to purchase supplies, food-safety training for volunteers, and for the eventual distribution of the meals. We are especially thankful to the Wyoming Food For Thought Project, which has been a great partner in organizing efforts,” noted Phillips.

Casper College students Tom Myler and Kassi McPherson, each of whom will receive stipends to continue the planning process this fall, assisted Phillips, who pushed the grant proposal effort forward.

Founded in 2001, The Campus Kitchens Project is a national organization that empowers student volunteers to fight hunger in their community. On 53 university and high school campuses across the country, students transform unused food from dining halls, grocery stores, restaurants, and farmers’ markets into meals that are delivered to local agencies serving those in need.

Media contact: Lisa S. Icenogle
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