For today's clay
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS — For the past 15 years, the Clay County Kitchen has been working to combat food insecurity in Clay County, and after providing nearly 20,000 meals to Clay County residents last year, the kitchen is hoping to expand its efforts even further.
“Currently, The Kitchen of Clay County serves residents in Orange Park, Green Cove Springs and Middleburg with kitchens every Saturday,” said Brian Knight, president of The Kitchen. “But if we're truly serving the residents of Clay County, we need to serve as many residents as possible, which is why we're working to open a fourth location in Keystone Heights.”
The Keystone Heights store, located at 7790 State Road 100, will be operated by Mission of the Dirt Road and is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2024. That's the projected opening date, but Knight said some preparations need to be made.
“We need to raise $2,000 to open our new kitchen and operate it for a year,” Knight said. “That money will go towards plates, utensils and take-out containers. The other thing we need to run the kitchen is volunteers. We hope Keystone residents, and people outside of Keystone, will consider spending their Saturday giving back to the community they love.”
The new location will be a restaurant-style, sit-down dining area, with volunteers serving guests. All residents can come in for meals; no proof of need is required. The kitchen will also provide grab-and-go meals for residents to take home or share with others in the community.
The kitchen provides services at three partner locations. — The kitchens are open every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Mission Church, 207 Palmetto Ave. in Green Cove Springs, Black Creek Methodist, 3925 Main St. in Middleburg, and Orange Park Senior Center, 414 Stowe Ave. Donations can be made through the organization's website, thekitchenofclaycounty.com, or through the donation site, Cheddar Up, at my.cheddarup.com/c/donate-to-the-kitchen-of-clay-county-today.
More information on how to donate or volunteer can be found on The Kitchen of Clay County's website at thekitchenofclaycounty.com The Kitchen is a nonprofit organization with 501c3 status, so all donations are tax-deductible.
