Students from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Hotel and Restaurant Management Program at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) held a cooking demonstration at the Whole Foods Market in Rockville, Maryland, on April 14, to celebrate the launch of a partnership between Whole Foods Market and Campus Kitchens, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to hunger relief.  Whole Foods Market in Rockville recently selected USG’s Campus Kitchens location as a beneficiary of their Nickels for Nonprofits initiative.

The Nickels for Nonprofits program is designed to help sustain the environment while supporting local non-profit groups. Whole Foods Market gives a 5-cent credit to customers for each reusable shopping bag or bulk container they use while grocery shopping. If customers choose to, they can donate their total bag credit to Campus Kitchens during the next six months.

Campus Kitchens at USG is an embedded service-learning program in the UMES Hotel and Restaurant Management curriculum that helps relieve hunger in Montgomery County. UMES students work alongside faculty, staff, and other student volunteers to supply over 200 meals every month to The Dwelling Place, a facility that provides transitional housing and family support services for local families.  Through the program, students practice management skills, manage kitchen operations and develop marketing and promotions.

“The partnership with Campus Kitchens was just a natural fit,” said Gina Lancaster, Marketing Manager at Whole Foods Market in Rockville. “Campus Kitchens at USG and Whole Foods are both involved in giving back to our community while promoting healthy eating and education about healthy eating for everyone”.

Ashley Minton, Sam Petrella, and Laura Witkowsky represented UMES at USG Campus Kitchens during the event at Whole Foods on April 14, along with UMES Hotel and Restaurant Management faculty member, Susan Callahan.

ribbon cutting at whole foods cooking demonstration at whole foods