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What is this project about?
The Wide Open Kitchen Napanee will be a community-based cooking and food security program designed to strengthen connection, skill development, and access to nutritious food. The program will provide residents with opportunities to cook, eat, and learn together in a welcoming and accessible environment. Participants will develop practical cooking skills, share recipes and experiences, and take home ingredients to recreate healthy meals.
Rooted in the belief that food can be a bridge between people, Wide Open Kitchen Napanee will promote dignity and shared purpose by ensuring that everyone contributes to and benefits from the shared experience. Each session will encourage participants to work side by side, learning how to read and adapt recipes, cook with fresh local ingredients, and make the most of limited food budgets. The program will emphasize building confidence, fostering social connection, supporting independence through hands-on learning and encouraging leadership development.
The program will be hosted at the Napanee Area Community Health Centre (NACHC), a site of Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC). Building on the success of the existing Open Kitchen program in Kingston, this initiative will be tailored to the rural context of Napanee, where access to transportation and community programming can be limited. To support participation, taxi chits will be provided. The project will deliver 44 workshops, engaging approximately 50 unique participants, each attending an average of six sessions for a total of 300 encounters, serving 780 meals and training 4 volunteers.
Through shared food and shared purpose, Wide Open Kitchen Napanee will seek to create an environment of safety, welcome, and respect - one where differences are celebrated, growth is supported, and all participants are met where they are.
Why is this project important to the community?
In Eastern Ontario, food insecurity increased from 16% of households in 2022 to 24% in 2023. Within the Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) region, which includes the Town of Napanee, the situation is even more concerning, with approximately 33% of households experiencing food insecurity. These numbers represent not only a growing financial hardship for families but also a serious public health concern.
For residents in Napanee and surrounding rural areas, these risks are compounded by distance, transportation barriers, and limited access to affordable food options. Many communities in the region function as rural food deserts, where grocery stores and fresh produce are not easily reached without a vehicle. The lack of public transportation in Napanee and neighbouring areas further restricts access, making it difficult for individuals to obtain healthy food on a regular basis. Rising costs of living continue to push more households into precarious circumstances, leaving many to make difficult choices between food, housing, and other essentials.
The Wide Open Kitchen Napanee will respond to these challenges by creating a practical, hands-on way for people to build food skills, share meals, and connect with others in a supportive setting. The program will address both the immediate need for access to nutritious food and the longer-term goal of strengthening connection and self-sufficiency in the kitchen. Participants will learn how to prepare healthy meals on a budget, cook with local ingredients, and take home the leftovers and basic food supplies they need to continue cooking for themselves and their families.
Equally important, the program will create a sense of belonging and purpose. By cooking and eating together, participants will form relationships that reduce isolation and strengthen community ties. Wide Open Kitchen Napanee will demonstrate that food security can be addressed with dignity and respect.
Target Completion Date
December 31, 2026
Location
26 Dundas Street West
Napanee
K7R 1Z4