Krishna Lunch kitchen long needed expansion

Thank you to the Krishna Lunch community for your ongoing support. Krishna lunch started 51 years with one Hare Krishna monk serving rice out of a pot at the Plazas. Over the years, it grew and is now an integral part of UF and the Gainesville community. All this has been possible over the years because of the donations, volunteers and support we get from innumerable people. To date, we have distributed around 3 million plates of Krishna Lunch in 51 years.

We have been cooking in the same kitchen for about 25 years. The kitchen we have currently is barely equipped for the amount we cook and takes the cooks several hours, having to make several batches of Krishna lunch. The cooks are happy to cook because they see it as a service, but it is strenuous. This year we have also launched the Krishan CARES program, where we feed those in need, especially those who are disabled, homebound, and cannot cook for themselves for various reasons. We deliver to them individually and to other agencies like Grace Marketplace, Peaceful Paths (domestic abuse survivors), etc that cater to those in need.

So we are cooking more in an already limited kitchen! We intend to increase our cooking capacity by adding another commercial hood and tilt skillets! That would be a huge help in our mission of feeding healthy, cooked with love, delicious and spiritual Krishna Lunch to as many people as possible. Please help us in this mission! Every dollar counts. If you remember, we had raised funds for tilt skillets. We got two new ones. We had given up hope on the two REALLY old tilt skillets, but luckily after months of work, we were able to fix one of them and might be able to salvage the other one. So hopefully, those two skillets can go under the new hood, saving us $20,000! But, we will still need $40,000 for the remodeling and addition of the hood and fire suppression system. Again, please help us in this mission! Every dollar counts.

We are working with a general contractor, HVAC technician and fire suppression system company to get this done. Here is the breakdown of the cost:

a) $13,000 - Scope of work includes demo of the current wall and an old chimney to make space for the hood and equipment, patch roof section and each floor where the chimney exists, remodel ceiling to be able to hold the commercial hood, build new kitchen wall with fireproofing, install electric as needed, provide electric for hood as needed, demo kitchen floor and remodel it to be able to hold the new equipment.

b) $2000 estimated - Permits from the City for the above and to install the hood

c) $20,000 - new commercial hood purchase and installation

d) $5,000 - new fire suppression system as required by health codes

Total: $40,000

Luckily, we already got our first major donation of $5,000! So we have $35,000 to go. Please spread the word and donate whatever you can.

Current kitchen:

The section that will be remodeled and new hood and equipment will be added:

Please support us so that we can keep cooking Krishna Lunch for everyone with even more enthusiasm!