Who we are
Neighbors have been serving neighbors here since 2009
The Kitchen of Clay County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that exists for one simple reason: no one in Clay County should go hungry. We're 100% volunteer run, funded by donations, and open to absolutely everyone.
“Serve one another humbly in love.”
Galatians 5:13
Our story
From one pot of soup to four kitchens
The Kitchen started the way most good things around here do: somebody saw a neighbor in need and decided Saturday was as good a day as any to help.
2009
A neighbor sees the need
Guy Gallina recognized real malnutrition right here in Clay County and set out to do something about it. Volunteers from local churches came together, and the first meals were served in November 2009 at the Clay County Council on Aging facilities.
The early years
Churches carry the pot
Sacred Heart Catholic Church provided the primary financial support in the beginning, with food donated by Waste Not, Want Not and congregations across the county. No paid staff, no red tape. Just neighbors cooking for neighbors.
Growth
One kitchen becomes four
As more neighbors came to the table, the Kitchen grew to meet them: serving locations opened in Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Middleburg, and Keystone Heights, each hosted by a partner church or community facility.
Today
Every Saturday, all year long
Once a week, the community comes together to nourish both body and soul of anyone who is hungry. Four kitchens, 52 Saturdays a year, every meal free, and every hand a volunteer's.
Our mission
“Once a week, the community comes together to nourish both body and soul of anyone who is hungry.”
Anyone who is hungry is invited to partake. All meals are free of charge. No sign-up, no ID, no questions. That has been the whole rule since 2009, and it isn't changing.
Leadership
The folks who keep it organized
A small volunteer board handles the paperwork, and four kitchen directors run the serving locations week to week. Nobody draws a paycheck.
Board of Directors
President
Brian Knight
Vice President
Jennifer Knight
Treasurer
Hope Smith
Secretary
Michelle Henry
Kitchen Directors
Green Cove Springs Kitchen Director
Charlotte Sohm
Middleburg Kitchen Director
Liane Clark
Orange Park Kitchen Director
Dennis Abbott
Keystone Heights Kitchen Director
Maddison Hickman
Ready to serve alongside them? The directors' phone numbers are on the volunteer page.
Sponsors & Neighbors
We don't do this alone
Local businesses, churches, and civic groups sponsor pantries, bring serving teams, and back the work with their gifts. Thank you, neighbors.
Loading our partners...
The next chapter has your name in it
Seventeen years in, the recipe hasn't changed: neighbors show up, and neighbors get fed. Come be part of it.