Giving Kitchen's mission is to provide emergency assistance to food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources.

Guiding Principles

Empathy: Understanding and responding to unanticipated crises in the food service community.
Generosity: Compassion and care beyond expectation.
Community: Transcending boundaries, our community is built through caring and the connection to service of others.
Precision: The right resources, at the right time, in the right amount, to the right people.
Trust: Stewardship and governance that honors our mission and those we serve.
Gratitude: Appreciation for the opportunity to serve our community.

Giving Kitchen grew out of a beyond-expectation response to the devastating, stage-four cancer diagnosis of Chef Ryan Hidinger in December 2012. Ryan was well-known in the Atlanta restaurant community for his work at Bacchanalia, Floataway Café and Muss & Turner’s. And he and his wife, Jen, were beloved for their supper club called Prelude to Staplehouse, which they hosted for several years as a precursor to opening their dream restaurant.

The response to Ryan’s diagnosis - initially from friends within the restaurant industry, and then quickly from an ever-expanding community across Atlanta - was truly heroic: an outpouring of love and financial support to help with his expenses not covered by insurance.

Jen said that this outpouring gave Ryan a peace of mind that she believes extended his life by at least six months. The community’s overwhelming response to the Hidingers' crisis set the intent, beliefs and values for Giving Kitchen.

To this day, thanks to the leadership and vision of the Hidinger family and our donors, partners, staff, and board, Giving Kitchen has supported thousands food service workers in crisis.