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The Underground Kitchen Community First

OUR STORY

UGK Community First is a 501(c)(3) organization established in March 2020 as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic when The Underground Kitchen, a roving experiential dining company, was forced to shutter its business.

 

We immediately saw the deep need for nutritious, non-processed, homemade meals that runs through our community – even in the best of times – and felt the calling to do what we could to remedy that. In addition, UGK CF saw an immediate need for employment support for those in the the rapidly declining restaurant industry.

UGK CF Soups
UGK Chef

1 in 10 Americans live in food insecure household   

USDA 2021

OUR MISSION

UGK Community First (UGK-CF) supports food insecure children, families, and seniors through community-based feeding and educational programs; providing a consistent source of nutritious and healthy, chef-made meals to the food insecure who live in underserved communities as well as those who find themselves in food insecure situations due to environmental or social events.

 

UGK-CF is attentive to the diversity within our communities, taking into account the needs presented by different cultures, dietary restrictions, health concerns, environmental limitations, and food preferences. 

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UGK-CF, its culinary team & staff are dedicated to serving all groups within the community and embrace diversity;  promoting chefs and industry workers of color, women and LGBTQ+ who most  often are underrepresented in the culinary world. 

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UGK Community First Logo

100% of our funds are raised through the generosity of individual donors, granting institutions, and community partnerships

Your donations go directly to helping those in need and to making our community healthier.

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UGK-CF's range of programs address food insecurity in several different forums each of which provide:

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  • Chef-made, healthy, and dietarily appropriate supplemental meals for children, families, and seniors

  • Access to in-person, live-virtual, and on-line food, nutrition, and cooking education

  • Community partnerships that expand the base of knowledge about food insecurity

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