The Tiny Kitchen Project

Our Story

Black Americans once depended on the collective for survival. The often-quoted African proverb reminds us: it takes a village to raise a child. Many of us are here today because of that village — because we once lived together, learned together, and even cooked together.

But as assimilation into post-Civil War American culture pulled us away from those sustaining principles, the bonds that once held our communities together began to weaken. The result: a breakdown in trust, rising violence, and a deepening sense of despair.

Why Food Matters

Over the past decade, MASK has witnessed the violence epidemic up close. While poor schools, the lack of mental health services, and generational poverty all play critical roles, one factor rises above them: food insecurity.

A child may not understand systemic inequities, but they know hunger. Whether it’s a four-year-old breaking into a car for water on a hot day or a fourteen-year-old picking up a gun — both are simply responding to the same unmet need: survival.

Our Goal

This project builds on a simple but urgent truth: feed the children, and we can break cycles of desperation.

Within six months, our goal is to serve 100 children every day. We know that without intervention, looming SNAP benefit cuts will almost certainly trigger a spike in hunger and crime. We intend to stay ahead of that crisis.