Joy’s Kitchen – Facing a Challenge for Survival

March 31, 2025 by Kathy Stanley Posted in Community 1 Comment

Joy’s Kitchen – Facing a Challenge for Survival

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Since 2012, Joy’s Kitchen has been more than a food rescue—it’s been a movement, a family, and a miracle in motion. Born as an outreach of Westwoods Community Church, Joy’s Kitchen began with a vision to meet hunger head-on, anchoring their roots the same day Westwoods opened its doors at 7700 W. Woodard Drive. Now they need help – desperately! Do you have fundraising experience ? Can you volunteer time or contribute money? This is serious. Read on…

By Kathy Stanley

From a family and local church partnered in feeding a few families and our local homeless neighbors to becoming one of Jefferson County’s five emergency food relief hubs during COVID, we’ve grown—because the need grew. Over the past three years, we’ve consistently served 5,000+ families a month, adapting with grit, grace, and your unmatched volunteer power. In 2024 we recovered over 1.5 million pounds of viable food from waste to sustain the growing need of our community. over 9000 of you have joined us in the lst 12 years to serve in this mission alongside our small team and we now serve a combined 1800 hours a month to care for this hurting world. That is HUGE.

Now, we need to come together to do another HUGE thing.

Westwoods Church, has chosen to reclaim the space we rooted in. As our missions have evolved in different directions since covid. There’s no conflict here—just the reality that Joy’s Kitchen must now stand fully on its own. We were not expecting this, as the intent has long been to house Joy’s in a stand alone building through the launched Lighthouse Campaign for the building purchase and upgrades for existing services through church missions.. Unfortunately, the Westwoods campaign raised enough for purchase of the building but not enough to reach the constructional phase of the intended building to include housing Joy’s. The church Elders changed directions and have chosen to no longer include Joy’s in their base missions.

We now have less than 5 months to find and fund a new space without breaking our operations. If we pause—even for winter—we risk losing vital food rescue partnerships that keep thousands nourished every month. We are not able to close and keep all of our current contracts while we restructure, that means if we can’t come up with a space to serve from immediately, we close this model forever. Even if this were to happen, before September 1 and move out date we will serve another 25,000 families food for a week or more.

Let’s be clear:

We are already operating at bare minimum costs—$11K/month covers equipment, salaries (below market), and essential programming.
All team members donate 10–25 hours of their time unpaid every week.
We do this because we believe hunger is solvable—and we’ve proven it is.

Here’s what your support makes possible every month:

Rent + Utilities + Maintenance
Rescue & Distribution of Thousands of Pounds of Food
Software, Volunteer Scheduling, Data Management
Food Safety + Partner Fees (FBR, etc.)
Trash & Compost Programs
Paid Staff (at $20–$23/hr) keeping it all moving

We are currently not positioned to borrow and were never set up to consider plans for leasing or borrowing money for property—because we didn’t think we’d have to change spaces. Until now, the intent was to remain on the 7700 W Woodard property.

So we need MORE of your help.

If 500 people committed to just $25/month for 8 months, we could stabilize this transition, keep feeding families, and build sustainable funding streams for the future. https://www.gofundme.com/f/helpsavejoys . Will you join us?!

We’re actively pursuing a new space—but many landlords need stable income models, and we’re rebuilding from the ground up. We’re also committed to inclusivity, and we’re open to interfaith partnerships for donated space and partnership to continue to serve with more need at our doorsteps than ever.

We’re transforming—and we’re inviting you to be part of that story.

Thank you for being the heartbeat 😍 behind this mission.

Every day we will show up, celebrate, love this planet and it’s people and continue to serve while we have secured space. Everyday we know there is hope and everyday we look forward to bringing Joy alongside of you to others.
Together, we are unstoppable.

With gratitude and urgency,
The Joy’s Kitchen Team

https://www.gofundme.com/f/helpsavejoys

Attached (Link) is Westwoods Community Church Reference Letter for you to share with Churches, Landowners, Investors and Space Holders. We have many letters of reference from our City, Hunger Relief Partners, Corporate Partners and Board Members upon request as well. Please send an email introduction to [email protected] for further details.

Read more about the accomplishments of Joy’s Kitchen and their special relationship with Southern Gables: 2022 Mayor’s Inspiration Award Winners.