KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kid and a Kitchen is a nonprofit organization sizzling up excitement among Kansas City youth, turning ordinary kitchens into vibrant classrooms where culinary skills and essential life lessons take center stage.
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The organization, co-founded by Adell Kirkwood III, is on a mission to empower and educate children and teenagers, providing them with the tools to navigate not just the kitchen, but life itself.
“We wanted to be able to facilitate culinary art to the youth in our community. We know that there's a drop in literacy rates, so we wanted to add literacy with it also. So we put literacy, health and then culinary art all together," Kirkwood said.
The organization offers a variety of hands-on cooking classes, where young participants not only learn the art of preparing delicious meals, but also gain valuable life skills. Kirkwood said it's also a way to inspire kids about future career goals.
“The goal is to let them know, 'hey, you are seen,' that's first off, because we want them to be able to be seen in the community, not just by their peers, but outside, older folks, people in the business field," Kirkwood said.
A Kid and a Kitchen is committed to going beyond traditional cooking classes. The program emphasizes the importance of nutrition, meal planning and understanding the origins of ingredients.
"To see their faces once they're done, to see them enjoying the food, to see the parents enjoying them in the process is just very, very, very gratifying," Kirkwood said.
These classes can't be done without the experience and knowledge of local chefs like Jayuan Smith. His passion for food now enables him to ignite that passion in the youth.
“For me to come back and now be in my position to show everybody what I know, I'm still growing my brand at the same time," Smith said. "It's been like one of the most heartwarming feelings within this journey and then it's a non-profit, so we're not looking for nothing, but just to help our community grow.”
Most importantly Chef J and Kirkwood are impacting the lives of these kids, giving them a sense of belonging while also teaching them some meaningful life skills.
“A Kid and a Kitchen, we want to get those kids off the street because we give them something new to do, a new skill to learn, a new career field to possibly hop into and definitely most important, we know a job," Smith said.
The next class is set for next month. You can find more information on their website and social media on classes, sign-ups, volunteering and donations.
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