The path of the storm was as violent as it was unexpected, as devastating as it was methodical. Hurricane Helene took a few prisoners when it forced itself with brutal fury on western regions of North Carolina. Communities, nestled in the foothills and mountains, were ill-equipped for flash floods, landslides and road collapses. In the wake of the storms, food service workers needed help.

From her estimations, Jen Hidinger-Kendrick says Giving Kitchen has served more than 3,500 clients over the past three months since the storm—nearly 70% of all the food service workers the organization helped in 2023. Since its inception, Giving Kitchen has served more than 25,000 food service workers and awarded over $13 million dollars in financial assistance to food service workers in crisis. The grant assistance provided by the nonprofit helped reduce stress as businesses and families navigated different government agencies for help. As one client recalled, “Giving Kitchen gives blessings. It was the easiest and fastest support that I received.”

Giving Kitchen’s origin story comes from such an unprecedented challenge. After his devastating stage-four cancer diagnosis, well-known Atlanta chef Ryan Hidinger and his wife, Jen, were blindsided. With the help of Ryan’s colleagues and mentors, the couple were guided by a fundraiser. That initial event, which they called Team Hidi, raised almost $300,000 from the nearly 1,000 members of the Atlanta restaurant community that united to help. Giving Kitchen was born.

“The moment Ryan took to the stage, he declared his cancer diagnosis a gift,” recalls Jen, Founder. “While the money helped us take care of expenses, our mortgage and utility bills for Ryan’s final year, it allowed us to focus on Ryan’s medical journey. But it wasn’t just about helping Ryan. In his words, ‘Use these funds to help others like me…’ That was the real lightbulb moment. It wasn’t just a man battling cancer, or a chef working toward his dream restaurant, but the beginning of tapping into a cause far bigger than we could have imagined.”

Today, Giving Kitchen is a nonprofit that helps food service workers in crisis by providing stability through referrals to a network of low or no-cost community resources. Food service workers who have experienced an injury, illness, housing disaster or death of a family member also receive financial assistance to cover living expenses. It also offers free QPR suicide prevention training to food service across the country. The 45-minute course comes with a certificate that encourages food service workers to question, persuade or refer a teammate experiencing suicidal thoughts.

In its continued pledge to support restaurateurs everywhere, Giving Kitchen encourages restaurants to participate in initiatives like its “Dining with Gratitude,” which works to increase community awareness of Giving Kitchen and educates employees about the services it offers. It also has downloadable posters and flyers for restaurant managers to post and share with their teams. In addition, supporters are encouraged to make a donation or spread the word about Giving Kitchen to food service workers.

“From founding Board members to long-standing supporters, the Decatur community has been an incredible source of support and inspiration to the work we do at Giving Kitchen,” says Jen, who in 2019 was awarded with the prestigious James Beard Foundation’s “Humanitarian of the Year” award on behalf of Giving Kitchen. “We simply could not do the work we do without the generous financial support of our donors and partners. We are able to not only serve the State of Georgia, but any food service worker in America.”