Mobile Kitchen at the Library

In rural Vermont, the Highgate Library and Community Center has been providing more than books to the locals who use it. It runs educational programs, offers services and hosts events, and is a home base for local programs looking for a welcoming space. “We may be little,” reads the motto on its website, “but we do BIG things for our community.” 

Those big things include introducing the next generation of residents to BIG flavors. 

Once a month, Highgate runs a spice program that involves cooking a dish from a different country and pairing the recipe with a list of books that feature it. But because the library isn’t equipped with full-blown kitchen space, staff can only pick recipes that can be prepared in an Instant Pot. The library also boasts an outdoor community garden, but it’s limited in how it can use and expand the program without prep space to cook vegetables. Now the team is hoping to acquire a Charlie Cart—a mobile kitchen unit that will allow them to expand their cooking repertoire, from live demos to kids’ cooking classes, and provide free meals to community members who need them. The cart includes a small convection oven, double burners, a sink, and all of the necessary kitchen utensils, pots, and pans. 

Highgate has raised $7,500 of the total $12,000 cost. Our grant will bring them closer to reaching their goal. We can’t wait to watch this delicious story unfold.