Teen Kitchen Project

The mission of Teen Kitchen Project (TKP) is to build healthy communities through food. We accomplish this through our Medically Tailored Meal (MTM) Delivery Program and teaching cooking classes to children, teens, and adults. TKPs MTM Program. is designed by our Executive Chef with guidance from our Registered Dietitian to support the nutritional needs of individuals and families who are impacted by life threatening illness like cancer, diabetes, heart disease and several other critical and chronic illnesses. Meals are prepared by young people between the ages of 14-18 who join professional chefs in our commercial kitchen in Soquel, California. Meals are delivered by volunteer Delivery Angels who are predominantly members of our retiree community and includes volunteers up to age 75.All of our clients reside in Santa Cruz County and most are low income, lack a support network of family or friends, or do not receive another free meal delivery service. The program also meets the needs of teens by providing them with valuable life skills, employment, and the opportunity to give back to their community.Our MTM program is supplemented by income from classes that are taught throughout the year to children, teens and adults.FY 20-21 saw a few irregularities largely resulting from decision made unique to the pandemic. In late FY 19-20, TKP received a $325,000capital grant that was for the building or renovation of a commercial kitchen. In early FYI 20-21, we began the process to design the kitchen renovations but cancelled those plans due to the uncertainty in how the pandemic may impact predictability of income. As such, in FY 20-21 we returned $252,173 of the unused grant, which resulted in an overall loss for the organization of $49,858. The organization was able to withstand any negative impact of the returned grant funds as we strive to maintain between 4-6 months of reserved cash to help manage through seasonal fluctuations in revenue. This reserve allowed us to repay the grant funds and continue meal delivery without any interruption of service to our community members in need.Removing the impact of the return of the $252,173 from our FY 19-20 Revenue, TKP would have realized revenue in FY 19-20 of $856,262 vs. FY 20-21 of $896,655 or gain in revenue of $40,393 year over year. Similarly, removing the impact from Income, TKP would have realized income in FY 19-20 of $233,760 vs. FY 20-21 of $202,315, a decline of $31,445. The decline in income was the result of an increase in food and delivery materials caused by supply chain issues from the pandemic.