Profile

The Good News Community Kitchen (TGNCK) is a Black-led grassroots organization that was established in 2015 by Army Veteran Mercedes Kirkland-Doyle and a cadre of volunteers to rebuild and strengthen communities by fighting hunger one meal at a time.… The Good News Community Kitchen (TGNCK) is a Black-led grassroots organization that was established in 2015 by Army Veteran Mercedes Kirkland-Doyle and a cadre of volunteers to rebuild and strengthen communities by fighting hunger one meal at a time. Over the past six years, TGNCK has grown exponentially from our flagship community meals program to include food delivery programs, clothing, blanket, and hygiene product distribution, a community garden, and more.
Our organization began with one woman – Executive Director Mercedes Kirkland-Doyle – taking action to help feed people experiencing food insecurity and homelessness. Since then, our network has grown to include thousands of clients, hundreds of volunteers, and partnerships with government, nonprofit, religious organizations, and 19 Title I schools. From the start, our work has been rooted in meeting community needs by sharing resources, time, creativity, and compassion with one another.

TGNCK uses direct service programs to build trust and relationships with people experiencing food insecurity and low income. During these pandemic times, we operate three of our four Core Programs – Mobile Meals, Hygiene Heroes, and Warm Winters – that offer free meals, groceries, clothing, and wellness products to 10,000 households annually. These programs serve the dual purpose of meeting an immediate need while also connecting clients to our network of care, allowing us to address additional needs for the families we serve. For example, a household that receives meal kit deliveries might also get backpacks filled with school supplies for their children, socks and warm jackets for the winter months, gift cards to purchase Christmas gifts, and even college scholarships. At The Good News Community Kitchen, what starts as a single meal can develop into an experience that leads to long-lasting security, stability, and rehabilitation.