Saffron Kitchen Project - Nourish, Train & Employ

Dear Friends, Happy New Year!

Before we shift our focus to the upcoming year of 2024, let's take a moment to reflect on the accomplishments and milestones we achieved in the previous year. It is important for us to acknowledge and appreciate the progress made during our first full year of operations.

And what a year it’s been…

Our team successfully prepared a total of 62,919 meals, averaging approximately 5,670 meals per month. November stood out as our peak month, during which we cooked an impressive 6,986 meals! But not only provide a record breaking number of meals, we also take pride in our ability of maintaining a high level of quality and taste of each dish.

Our dedicated chefs and kitchen volunteers worked tirelessly to prepare a diverse range of meals, offering a total of 72 different recipes. This extensive variety not only allowed us to cater to a wide range of tastes and nutritional needs, but also to explore savors from many cultures. Together, we culinarily traveled to Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine, Congo, Cameroon and of course… Greece. We are very proud of our ability to create delicious and wholesome meals, but we also want our community to bond and discover each other’s culture. Our team is amazing: During this period the team chopped a whopping 1560 kgs of onions and served up 4512 vegetable fajitas (by far one of our most popular dishes)!

In order to expand our reach and make a greater impact, we established collaborations with 32 local partners. By working together with other amazing organizations, we all supported each other, sharing expertise, resources, and networks to reach more people and in a better way. We are very grateful for the support and these enriching cooperations.

In addition to providing meals, our aim is always to support and empower those seeking employment opportunities in the culinary industry, helping them to develop the necessary skills and resources for a successful career.kll In collaboration with IEK Delta, we conducted three culinary training cohorts, where a total of 45 students actively participated in the program. Throughout the training, these students dedicated a combined total of 180 hours to enhance their culinary skills and knowledge. Additionally, we provided valuable employability workshops and one-on-one CV appointments to assist these individuals in their job search endeavors.

Looking ahead to the future, SKP is fully committed to our mission and has set ambitious goals for the upcoming year, to keep doing what we do, but even better: We wish to expand our outreach and increase the number of meals served to an average of 7000 per month, allowing us to reach and support more communities in need. Additionally, we aim to enhance our impact by training and certifying an additional 75 individuals, equipping them with valuable skills to improve their employability and address the underlying causes of food insecurity. Furthermore, we recognize the importance of collaboration and will actively work towards strengthening our partnerships with local businesses, volunteers, and organizations to amplify our collective efforts and make a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.

We are looking forward to an exciting year and thank you for your continued support! 

Dear Friends,

Did you know?

• In 2019 Greece was fifth in Europe for food insecurity among its citizens. 

• In 2022, 40% of people living in refugee camps were denied food after the decision of the government to discontinue access to those who had not initiated the asylum procedure. 

That’s why one of the cornerstones of our work at SKP is to Nourish. Food is about love, comfort and hospitality. There is a kindness in the practice of preparing meals for others, the perfect opportunity to make people feel welcome. Our mission is to support displaced people in building healthy, autonomous lives, using food as a toolkit. 

We provide vulnerable people with warm, nutritious and flavourful meals in a dignified and sustainable way. We combine the expertise and backgrounds of our chefs and project director, drawing inspiration from our collective knowledge, experiences, and cultural traditions. Our aim is to ensure that every meal we prepare is packed with nutrients, providing a balanced and wholesome dining experience. For some recipients it may be their only meal that day and so we ensure that they are balanced and filling, providing them with the sustenance and energy they need to help rebuild their lives. 

Collaborative efforts play a vital role in our project's success. To allow us to have the greatest possible outreach, we partner with other organisations that support refugees and vulnerable people throughout Athens, who distribute our delicious meals to the people they work with whilst avoiding food waste as much as possible. We began with five partners who shared our vision and supported our cause. However, as our impact grew, so did our network of partners, widening our reach and strengthening our collective impact. As of September 2023 we have worked with 29 partner organisations and have prepared a total of 64143 meals, showcasing the scale and reach of our operations.

None of this would be possible without your ongoing support of our work, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity!

With love and solidarity,

The SKP Team