Kitchen Restore Project with Eudora JAG-K

Michelle T., SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator

There are times when one good conversation generates an idea that will bring people together for the betterment of a community. I was able to experience this with programming at Eudora High School in the JAG-K (Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas) classroom this past semester. During my last Nutrition Education programming session in the classroom, a student asked if there were resources for people that were trying to move out on their own with limited income to obtain kitchenware so they could prepare low cost and healthier meals at home. That question led to the JAG-K students trying to find a solution and ultimately create a community service project.

Fortunately, K-State Extension has a program in place in a few county locations called the Kitchen Restore Project. Donations of gently used or new household kitchen tools and equipment are accepted and kits are created to go out to those in need. Johnson County and Riley County are two of the closest examples of this project. The JAG-K students felt there was a need in Douglas County and have begun the process of research into creating this community service project. This summer, the instructor, a few of their students, and I went on a field trip to the Johnson County location to see what the process looked like and how the donations are put together for recipients.

I am looking forward to the JAG-K students' progress this fall as they get back into the classroom and start the discussions on how they are going to put the kits together and generate the donations needed. There is still a great deal to be ironed out, but the learning processes the students will go through to get the community service project off the ground will build their life skills.

This idea was sparked by a Nutrition Education class in which preparing healthy foods at home and consuming fruits, vegetables, and whole grains were discussed in great detail. The students are offering a way to truly implement this for those who face barriers to cooking at home. It was an honor to be a small part of their process!

This article is from the 2025 K-State Extension Douglas County Fall Newsletter publication.