A lot can happen with a group of passionate people. . What skills or experience exist in your group? With whom in the community are you connected?; how can they help?

Having a consistent presence is integral. Building consistency around food will let your community know that it is a resource they can turn to and that community-led kitchens are needed. Even if you don’t have a physical kitchen yet - look at the tools you can utilize to provide food in your community - we and many projects like ours started with crockpots on tables!

Are there resources in your community that can be shared or under-utilized? Discard produce/unused kitchen equipment/kitchen space not utilized in certain parts of the day?

Many community kitchens also receive funding through project-based grants. Look out for organizations who don’t know what to do with their money or who have a lot of it and encourage them to share their money.

Asking for forgiveness rather than permission has always been a good tool for starting a community food project but protecting yourself and community also matters!

For example, food safety training is a mandatory certification in most spaces handling food across Canada. Operating in a licensed kitchen is also important for serving food to the public safely. Once you have a space, be mindful regulations that may impact you!