On November 28, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris, her husband Doug Emhoff, and family members rolled their sleeves and put on aprons to help serve food at D.C. Central Kitchen. The event was far more than the service of meals but a reflection of Harris’s steadfast efforts to alleviate food insecurity within the nation’s capital.
As morning sunshine spilled onto the nation’s capital, Harris and her family were busy working alongside the hardworking employees at D.C. Central Kitchen-a nonprofit organization that for more than 35 years has represented a beacon of hope against hunger.
In a collaboration effort, the group prepared fresh produce and ingredients for the astonishing number of 69,000 meals that have been distributed throughout homeless shelters and youth programs in every part of the nation. Their goal this year is to serve twice as many meals as on Thanksgiving Day a year ago.
Harris chopped up some vegetables and helped wash the collard greens amidst laughter and in Harris’s good company. Light-hearted moments abounded between the kitchen staff, reporters, and Harris herself: “It’s all about community,” she said, beaming with an infectious smile that infected everyone around her.
While cooking, Harris spoke about her own Thanksgiving traditions, including how excited she will be to cook a feast for her family, which includes turkey, ham, and her homemade cranberry sauce. “I’ve got lots of carbs planned,” she jests, making it all a bit more relatable. She was warm and relatable as she spoke with emotion about the need and love of family and community during the holiday season.
Harris‘s visit was particularly poignant, as it marked one of her final public engagements before the end of her vice presidency. She has visited D.C. Central Kitchen multiple times since 2020, reinforcing her commitment to community service and the fight against hunger.
The presence of the Vice President there at the kitchen represented way more than a holiday gesture of goodwill. With one of every three residents in the District unsure of where their next meal is going to come from, Harris tackled an important issue at hand. “This is unacceptable,” Harris said, also echoing the sentiments voiced by D.C. Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin earlier in the day, that spoke to how the need for community support keeps going.
By volunteering her time, Harris hoped to be an inspiration for others to participate in and contribute to local efforts. “We all have a part to play in making sure no one goes hungry,” she said, urging everyone to lend a hand.
Founded in 1989, DC Central Kitchen has grown dramatically: its daily production of healthy school meals has doubled since its headquarters moved to the Klein Center for Jobs and Justice, and its trainee numbers for culinary careers are up 120 percent. That growth is very much needed, however: It is year-round work keeping pace with food insecurity well beyond the holidays.
Harris’s visit underlined that such organizations as D.C. Central Kitchen are the lifeblood of the community. Volunteers and staff alike said they were grateful for her hands-on participation, adding how special it was for her to return to the kitchen at such a significant time.
It also brought family to the fore in community service. Harris, Emhoff, and their family served together to drive home another important point: service can be a family affair. A personalized touch that deepened the depth of the event by sharing values that spurred them to collective action.
The day was punctuated by the smells of the kitchen and the good vibe of giving. Harris’s part in this brought attention to an important issue-food insecurity-while for all, it was more about the power of community, the impact of service.
