The Campus Kitchens Project Partners with Universities at Shady Grove
Rockville, MD - The Campus Kitchens Project is set to expand its national network this week when it will add a new location at the Universities at Shady Grove, the Rockville, Maryland campus that offers more than 60 majors from 9 of the state's public universities. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hotel and Restaurant Management Program students provide leadership for this partnership on the USG campus.

Campus Kitchens at USG will kick off with a Chili Cook-0ff involving student organizations from every part of campus life on Thursday, September 18 at 11 am in the Camille Kendall Academic Center. After competing in the cook-off, the Campus Kitchen volunteers will prepare chili, cornbread and black beans, to be donated to the Dwelling Place, a transitional housing program for families in Gaithersburg.

"We welcome this opportunity to take DC Central Kitchen's successful hunger relief model and bring it to college and high school campuses here in Maryland and around the country to provide student leadership training and healthy meals to those who need it most," says Robert Egger, president of DC Central Kitchen, which operates Campus Kitchens.

Each month the USG student volunteers will lead their own local hunger relief program. Students will prepare three types of meals for 16 families at the Dwelling Place. September meals include Chili, turkey potpie and chicken curry. In addition to preparing the meals and coordinating the delivery, students learn about non-profit management and leadership throughout the entire process. At full capacity, the program will distribute more than 70 meals a month to those in need.

"This program gives our students experience in planning and preparing meals and the chance to make a difference in our community," says Susan Callahan, chef instructor and lecturer.

"We're very excited for this partnership," said Robert Egger, president of DC Central Kitchen. "This is a powerful example of how students can develop local solutions to fight societal issues. I am inspired by the leadership of these students and am honored to welcome them as part of our network of Campus Kitchens."

About the Campus Kitchens Project
The Campus Kitchens Project is a national organization that works with colleges across the nation to use food as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds and build communities. Since 2001, the project has utilized more than 186,000 volunteer hours to prepare and serve 765,000 meals. CKP currently operates at 15 locations including Marquette University, Augsburg College, Gonzaga University, Washington and Lee University, Wake Forest University, and the College of William and Mary. CKP follows the effort developed at D.C. Central Kitchen in Washington, D.C., where food is donated by restaurants and hotels and reused to provide more than 4,500 meals a day to the homeless. More information on The Campus Kitchens Project is available at www.campuskitchens.org.

About the Universities at Shady Grove
The Universities at Shady Grove is an innovative model for delivering top-quality college degree programs. USG is not one university; instead it is a collaboration of nine leading public universities in Maryland offering more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Montgomery County. Established in 2000, USG serves more than 2,600 full- and part-time students. Participating USM partners include: Bowie State University; Salisbury University; Towson University; University of Baltimore; University of Maryland, Baltimore; University of Maryland, Baltimore County, University of Maryland College Park, and University of Maryland University College. More information on all of the undergraduate and graduate programs is available at www.shadygrove.umd.edu.

About the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Hotel & Restaurant Management Program
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore's (UMES) Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) program at the Universities at Shady Grove is an upper division (junior and senior years) program providing full-time and part-time curriculum plans of study in hospitality management. The program prepares student for management positions in lodging, restaurant, travel attractions, meeting and convention and food service industries. In its' sixth year at USG the program currently has 50 students.

Media Contacts
Universities at Shady Grove
Joe Bucci
Phone: 301-738-6356
E-mail: jbucci@umd.edu

Campus Kitchens
William Neuheisel
Phone: 202-789- 5979
E-mail: weuheisel@dcentralkitchens.org