The Bowser Administration and D.C. Central Kitchen Partner to Expand Health and Wellness Opportunities for District Residents

(WASHINGTON, DC) - The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and DC Central Kitchen have partnered to improve nutritional wellness in the District through healthy food distribution and an online healthy cooking series called 'Foodie Fridays,' which launched today.

'Mayor Bowser is committed to providing our families with fun and easy ways to lead healthy lifestyles. This partnership is a great example of local government joining with a community nonprofit to increase the value of what is offered to residents,' DPR Director Delano Hunter. 'DC Central Kitchen and DPR have created a food empowerment initiative by providing free food resources and professional chef-taught classes on nutrition and proper food preparation.'

Through this partnership, DPR distributes 750 bags of produce weekly to residents in need of nutritional support in areas where there are health and food disparities. Distribution, which happens three days a week, is led and distributed by DPR's Roving Leaders. The Roving Leaders handle community outreach for the agency.

The partnership also includes a monthly food cooking series, 'Foodie Fridays,' which incorporates ingredients from the donation bags in the recipes to cook along at home. 'Foodie Fridays' features Danley 'Chef Tee' Terrel, General Manager of DC Central Kitchen, who provides easy to follow instructions on how to prepare various healthy dishes. Each video is recorded at a DPR teaching kitchen. The pilot episode featuring Director Hunter was recorded at Kenilworth Recreation Center.

The 'Foodie Fridays' cooking series is available starting today at FoodieFridays.splashthat.com. The monthly episodes will be released on the first Friday of each month.

'DC Central Kitchen is committed to root-cause solutions, so with the combination of working with health education experts at Howard University Hospital, virtual cooking demonstrations from our chefs, and the large-scale grocery distribution effort, we will begin to meet the urgent need for healthy food in our communities,' said DC Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin, Jr.

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