GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Rooted In, Inc. has moved into a new commercial kitchen inside the Curative Connections building in Green Bay, marking a major step forward for the nonprofit's mission to bring locally sourced, nutritious meals to neighbors in need.
The move was made possible by more than $62,000 raised during Give Big Green Bay.
"We're filling a very unique void in our community," Rooted In Founder and CEO Selena Darrow said. "Now that we're in this new space, we're going to be able to expand all of that work and be able to share it with more people."
Before securing the new space, the organization operated out of the basement of a church.
The nonprofit is now setting its sights on a significant production goal.
"We hope to be able to produce 20,000 meals by the end of this year," stated Darrow.
The new kitchen also opens the door to expanded programming, including healthy cooking classes. Darrow described the organization's model as built around four pillars: recover, transform, share and educate.
Alex Galt, Director of Programs at Rooted In, said the work of the past three years laid the groundwork for this moment.
"A lot of things are being re-invented now so that we can become more efficient and more impactful," Galt said.
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The expansion comes as food insecurity continues to rise in the region. According to the Brown County Hunger Coalition, 11.8% of Brown County households are food insecure.
"The food is in our community," emphasized Darrow. "To be able to recover all of that and to get it into those who wouldn't otherwise have access to it is really at the heart of what we're doing. It's a privilege to do this work."
Neighbors who want to support the food recovery effort will soon be able to use a phone app to coordinate food pickups with Rooted In volunteers. More details are available on the Rooted In website.
