As a program of the UGA Office of Service-Learning, we exist to spotlight sustainable solutions to hunger and food waste and to showcase a mutually beneficial university-community partnership.
Since 2012:
The Campus Kitchen at UGA is the student-powered hunger relief program of the UGA Office of Service-Learning.
We exist to spotlight sustainable solutions to hunger and food waste and to showcase a mutually beneficial university-community partnership.
We engage UGA students and faculty to help develop sustainable solutions to food waste and hunger.
Since 2012, Campus Kitchen has served more than 133,295 meals and recovered 572,169 pounds of food.
Student Impact
— Campus Kitchen runs a weekly food recovery and redistribution enterprise led by UGA student volunteers.
— Student leaders and volunteers transform unused food from grocery stores and farms into meals and groceries that are delivered to older adults and human service agencies in Athens, Georgia.
— Students are equipped, connected, and inspired to be change-makers through hands-on learning to become the sustainable solution to food waste and hunger.
Community Impact
— Clients in our community receive nourishment and fellowship through the revealed power of redeemed food.
— Our work helps our community grow in its understanding of the systemic challenges facing older adults and our food system. This results in the continued advancement towards collaborative solutions.
— The Campus Kitchen at UGA goes beyond providing just meal service by using food as a tool to combat senior isolation and foster community connections.
Our Story
Georgia ranks 9th in the nation for hunger among senior citizens, and 1 in 5 residents of Athens-Clarke County are at risk of hunger.
History
In 2010, the Office of Service-Learning identified interest among the UGA community to engage with food systems through experiential learning. At the same time, students and faculty in the Geography Department and Women’s Studies Institute identified food security needs for clients of the Athens Community Council on Aging.
In 2012, the program became formally affiliated with the Campus Kitchens Project, the national collections of Campus Kitchens on 70+ university campuses across the country. UGA was the 33rd Campus Kitchen to open, and the 1st in Georgia.
In 2013-2014 Campus Kitchen won the Most Innovative Program Award as well as the 2014-2015 Pillar of the Community Award at The H. Gordon and Francis S. Davis SOAR Awards.
In 2019 Campus Kitchen separated form The Campus Kitchens Project in Washington DC and became its own separate organization, Campus Kitchen at the University of Georgia.
Today
Today, the Campus Kitchen at UGA serves over 700 meals each month to older adults, their families, and aging service providers, as well as engage in community dinners and senior community gardens.
In 2024, Campus Kitchen surpassed a total of 500,000 pounds of food rescued from partner organizations since 2012.
Campus Kitchen partners with the Athens Area Diaper Bank, Athens Area Homeless Shelter, Athens Community Council on Aging, Bigger Vision of Athens, Concrete Jungle, Divas Who Win, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Earth Fare, First Presbyterian Church, Freedom from Bondage, Live Forward, Timothy Baptist Church, Trader Joe’s, and UGArden in our everyday operations. Campus Kitchen is also a part of the Athens Senior Hunger Coalition.
Our Leadership Team
Julianne O’Connell, Ph.D. – Campus Kitchen Coordinator
Julianne O’Connell is the coordinator for Campus Kitchen at UGA with the Office of Service-Learning. Julianne completed her Ph.D. in the Institute of Higher Education and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and German from the University of Georgia. Prior to joining IHE, Julianne taught English in Austria and Indonesia. While pursuing her Ph.D., she served as the managing editor for the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, a graduate resident with University Housing and as a research assistant for Dr. Libby Morris. Julianne’s research interests pertain to student support services and basic needs security, and her dissertation will focus on how institutions address food insecurity on campus.
Caitlin Grdinich – Graduate Assistant
My name is Caitlin Grdinich, and I am currently in the Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health dual degree program here at UGA. I started with OSL back in the fall of 2021 when I participated in the Public Service and Outreach Student Scholar program. The following spring, I was placed with Campus Kitchen and have been an intern ever since. For my graduate assistantship, I have taken on the role of Campus Kitchen Food Trailer Coordinator. Our food trailer is a fully functioning kitchen that we bring to various events around the community, and we are able to serve hot and ready meals wherever we go. I have also continued to work with the PSO Student Scholar program.