A resourceful initiative spearheaded by Chef Hank Reid is turning former Gwinnett County classrooms into hunger relief kitchens. With his nonprofit Lettum Eat, Chef Reid aims to transform repurposed classroom trailers into standalone kitchens. "We knew need was already there, but we started shortly after the pandemic hit and exploded from there," Reid said, recognizing the heightened demand for meals due to the pandemic, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
In collaboration with local churches, Gwinnett County Commissioners, and architects, the project's mission is to expand its meal provision services. The first kitchen site is already up in Loganville, while additional sites are slated for areas marked as food deserts. Lettum Eat's efforts have, since 2019, seen a wide distribution of both hot and cold meals particularly via church kitchens, however as these spaces are being reclaimed, the nonprofit pivots to a more autonomous operation model. "We operate out of Gwinnett but serve the entire metro, we do a lot of work with Trinity church in downtown Atlanta, we move where need is," Chef Reid highlighted the geographic scope of their outreach, per FOX 5 Atlanta.
The progression toward these independent kitchens, which Chef Reid refers to as Modular Production Kitchens (MPKs), is 70% complete for the prototype trailer at the Nett Church in Norcross. The initiative has now adopted a larger vision, aiming to establish a trio of mobile kitchens strategically placed across the county to address food scarcity head-on. These trailers are a product of detailed planning and substantial financial investment, with Reid already pouring $140,000 into the prototype and facing a remaining $60,000 to see it through to completion, the efforts look to not just combat hunger but to cultivate community in the very act of service itself, according to Jackson Progress-Argus.
With over 35 years in the culinary industry, Reid envisions inviting a younger generation into service-oriented roles in the food sector. "I want young professionals interested in the business to think about doing this as a career and not wait until they’re in their 50s, but to intentionally set out to serve quality meals to people in their community,” Reid stated. Lettum Eat has already made a significant impact through its food service, serving over 150,000 meals to those in need within the community throughout the past several years, their continued efforts under this new pivot signal a strengthened commitment to addressing hunger where in an inventive and engaged manner, as per Jackson Progress-Argus.
