Mike Wolanin | Republic An exterior view of the area housing the Educational Kitchen at Nexus Park in Columbus, Indiana, on Monday, March 18, 2024. Cummins and the Columbus Community Health Foundation donated funds to get the kitchen up and running.
Columbus Parks and Recreation officials announced the names of the donors and released some additional details about Nexus Park's new teaching kitchen.
Cummins and Columbus Community Health Foundation/Healthy Communities are supporting the kitchen, which focuses on “community health and wellness,” said Nikki Murphy, associate director of recreation.
Cummins is contributing $250,000 upfront and the CRH Foundation is contributing $300,000 over three years. Funds from both parties went toward supplies, equipment, staffing, and programming operations.
Officials say the kitchen will provide support to underserved communities and communities at large as a place to learn how to find healthy foods and prepare healthy meals. He said it was expected. The kitchen is contract-based and used by those running or participating in specific programs, but there is an adjacent prep kitchen that is open to the community.
Classes range from 12 to 15 people, with about three at each station, and are equipped with Bunsen burner stoves, small appliances, and cooking utensils so participants can recreate what the teacher behind the counter is doing. Masu. The space also has live streaming technology capabilities.
Construction of the kitchen itself began after NexusPark received $6 million through a Regional Economic Accelerated Development Initiative (READI) grant. It is equipped with a gas stove, two double-oven microwaves, and a variety of catering-sized refrigerators and freezers that can be used for “large-scale food distribution,” Murphy said.
Healthy Communities will likely be the area's primary user, and is working with Purdue Extension on the initial program, which will provide nutrition educators to teach the classes.
CRH's Julie Knight said the first program will be for VIMCare patients, who will receive a box of food paired with content they will learn in class.
The teaching kitchen is scheduled to open in May, Murphy said.
